


Life is a Lottery

by Endraking



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: A/B/O stereotypes, Alpha Brett Talbot, Alpha Derek, Alpha Liam Dunbar, Alpha Scott, Alpha Stiles Stilinski, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Anal Sex, Angst, Asexual Theo Raeken, Beta Corey, Beta Mason, Bullying, Dubious Consent, Dysfunctional Family, Familial Expectations, Knotting, M/M, Mates, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg referenced, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Not porn, Omega Isaac Lahey, Omega Jackson Whittemore, Omega Theo Raeken, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Theo Raeken, Pushed to breaking point, Self-Loathing, Theo Raeken-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-06-30 19:46:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15758451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endraking/pseuds/Endraking
Summary: Alpha, Beta, and Omega.  These labels determine what role a person can fill in society.  Most of the population are Betas but Alphas and Omegas are meant for breeding and lineage. Betas can and do have kids but they are given considerable amounts of freedom with their lives.  Alphas get the best of the world while omegas are expected to exist to breed.  Theo is born to an omega lineage family and expected to fall in line.  Theo fights desperately against his chosen fate in the hopes that he can become something more than just a breeder.





	1. An Omega's first day

An Omega's First Day

 

 

Alpha, Beta, and Omega.  The two syllable words that control and strangle his life.  No one asked if he wanted to be a label.  No one asked if he dreamed to be a mess of hormones and bodily reactions.  No one asked if he wanted a life outside of these words, a dream that didn’t involve falling into these categories.

This was almost always where his mind went when the heat took root and he needed to scratch the itch.  He knew he was supposed to being unbelievably drawn to his alpha, to mate and be bred but those thoughts sickened him.  Even with Liam’s thick, alpha cock shoved deep within him, the squelch from his overly abundant slick filling the room with the scent of their sex, he couldn’t help the discomfort.

The wolf’s husky voice pulled him from his thoughts and back to the slap of hips and the pressure within, “Fuck, Theo.  You’re so sexy riding my cock.”

The alpha’s claws scratched his thighs, drawing the scent of iron, as he tightened his grip.  The gasp died in his throat as he reflexively clinched around the thick member and pulled a growl from the alpha.  He slammed down harder, rotating his hips, tightening his muscles as he pushed to get the knot that would end the burn that coursed through his veins. 

Liam pounded into him harder, pushing past his resistance, letting out grunts as he fucked up into him.  His body shifted under the skin to accommodate the member as he felt it thicken.  Liam moved his arms up his back and pulled him down.  He began to rub his chin against the tender side of Theo’s neck and peppered it with tiny kisses before he whispered a slur through his teeth, “I’m going to bred you.  Fill you up Theo.  Complete you.”

The revulsion hit, and his stomach turned but it only fueled his body’s receptive response to the alpha’s growing knot.  He pushed away from the grip and snarked, “Shut up, Dunbar.  We’re just fucking.”

The alpha growled, and he met the deep red gaze with his golds and a snarl.  The alpha battered his beaten hole faster, forcing the growing knot past his tender ring.  His snarl was reduced to a frantic whimper as his body relented to the wolf.  The alpha yanked him down and held him tight as the knot grew and with a sickening slurp, seated itself inside, continuing to bloat. 

The wolf continued the shallow but forceful strokes, seeking his release, as he grazed his fangs over the inflated gland between his neck and shoulder.  It sent a shock through him and he pushed with his might against the hold, sliding his clawed hand to the alpha’s throat.  He pulled away before Liam could pierce the skin and glared down at the teen, tightening his grip, “Don’t even fucking think about it, Dunbar.  If you try that stunt again- “His words were cut off as the stream of thick, molten seed coated his insides and filled his eager hole. 

He hated this part.  His body relented to the alpha as he collapsed against Liam’s chest and shivered.  His body flashed between cold and hot as wave after wave filled him.  Liam kissed his forehead, no longer under the thrall of his alpha wolf and whispered, “I’m sorry Theo.  I don’t know what came over me.”

He managed a weak, “S’okay.  I was beginning to think that your wolf wants me to choke you to get off.”

Liam cradled him and gentle rolled them over, “Shh.  I’m glad you stopped me.  I don’t want to hurt you.”

It’s times like this that he thought that he could love someone, could fulfill his label and be this man’s omega.  But these times were fleeting.  It wouldn’t be long until the pain would return, and Liam would want sex more often than just his heat.  The former beta had said as much before but right now, Liam held him.

When the knot went down, Liam slipped out of him, his seed trickling out.  The alpha slid out of the bed and asked, “Do you want to use the plug babe?”

He shook his head.  It wouldn’t matter anyway.  He wasn’t on birth control pills for omegas since most wouldn’t work, a gift from his family lineage, but he’d already taken precautions.  He chemically changed his “womb’s” ph and lined his insides with a coating that would ensure no pups would be born in the hostile battleground that was his body. 

Liam showered up and made a pathetic excuse to leave.  He’d done this every time since he popped his first knot and found out what Theo had done.  Theo knew it was a betrayal in a sense, but this body was still his body.  He didn’t dream of being pregnant at 18 and living his life devoted to giving birth and raising kids.

The door slammed, and he rolled over on his soaked sheets and stared up at the cream-colored ceiling.  He reached over to the nightstand and pulled out the empty syringe.  He unceremoniously stabbed into his gland and pulled the fluid back on the plunger.  It’d become a ritual, one to prevent his heat from coming back full force but also to relieve the soreness that would happen if he left it full.

This was his life now.  At least he’d be able to get registered for courses tomorrow. 

He hated being an omega, but he was only beginning to touch on how much he’d grow to hate it. 

 

After fighting with the administration to be accepted and having to beg his parents for the money for tuition, since no lender wants to be on the hook for an omega trying to get a college education, he finally made it to Beacon University.

High school was easier but even there, omegas were treated like school held them up from their inevitable goal.  He remembered the freshman class, being one of a dozen omegas.  By the time of graduation, he was one of three.  His marks were stellar, and he’d managed to work through so much to be able to graduate, in the top of the class, but he was refused for every scholarship.  Every alpha that applied for scholarships received at least something, for the prestige of the school. 

 

His first day in class was painful to say the least.  The classes didn’t seem like they would be particularly difficult, and he loved the sciences, so his motivation didn’t waiver through the day. 

He noticed the odd looks from professors and the flare of eyes from some of the alphas as he passed them on the campus.  He knew he had to work harder, study more, and fight just to be taken seriously, as a student and not just some fuck object made for breeding.

When he passed in front of the fountain in front of the impressive main building of the school, he saw them.  Most of the same alpha douchebags he’d known through his years in high school. 

Scott, his best friend from grade school, from before he was changed, sat at the end talking to an omega, Isaac.  Isaac was telling Scott a story before he walked by but the pheromones did their work and Scott’s gaze shifted to him, his eyes lighting up red with Isaac shooting him a dirty glare, his eyes flaring gold.  Next to them Brett and Gabe laughed about something but quickly stopped and stared at the omega.  Stiles laid against Derek’s chest, his head tilted back to make eye contact with the alpha of their alpha clique.  With the exception of Derek, they were all roughly the same age with the Hale being a couple of years older.  Derek and Stiles both wore their mating bites exposed for the world to see.  Everyone knew they mated each other but still pulled omegas into their relationship.

Derek growled deep within his chest as he glared at Theo and Stiles yelled to the omega, “They are called suppressants.  We can smell your slick from here.  Or are you trying to get an alpha gangbang.”

The alphas and Isaac, with the exception of Scott, laughed at him and Theo ducked his head into the books in his arms as Stiles looked to the group, “I mean, I’m right, right?  But I think he wandered too far from his alpha.  But it looks like Liam still can’t seal the deal.  What is it, Theo?  Little alpha has a little pecker?  Can’t knot you up good?”

He mustered a venomous, “Fuck you” before Brett chimed in, “That’s not the way Liam tells the story.  Liam told us all about his regiment.”

Theo’s eyes widened as he looked to Brett, “What did you say?”

Stiles started to laugh as he slapped the side of the concrete fountain, “Oh yeah.  That’s right.  Gotta stay as pure as a whore can.  I hear that’s what the omegas in the district do.”

He felt the heat of embarrassment and turned to run only to bump into Liam.  He whispered, “Li, please tell me you didn’t talk about us with _them_.”

Liam leaned close and whispered, “Theo, what are you doing here?  Everyone can smell you.  You should be on suppressants.”

He pleaded, “You know I can’t go on those.  Since the operation, I’ve developed an allergy.  Last time it almost killed me.”

The anger teased its way into Liam’s tone, “Then maybe you should just stay home.  You’ve only been in class one day and I’ve already heard about you from the other alphas.”

His eyes widened, his vision beginning to blur a little, “What?  Li, you know me.  If I am ever going to be my own man, I need this.  I don’t care what some knotheads have to say.”

Liam argued back, “Well, I care what they have to say, you know, since I’m a “knothead” too.”

He bit his lip and looked away before he softly replied, “Li, you know I don’t mean you.”

Brett shouted at them, “You both know we can hear you right?  Come on Liam, put your bitch in his place.”

Theo turned his head and glared at the tall alpha with a snarl.  Stiles immediately followed, “Better put a leash on him.  I hear they put them down if they bite.  But judging from both of your necks, I bet he’s all bark and no bite.”  Stiles elbowed Derek playfully, “All bark and no bite.  You wouldn’t even need to use the ring gag on this bitch.  He could be fun.  It’s not like he belongs to anyone.”  Derek gave a mischievous grin to his mate with a slight raise of his brows.

Theo yelled at Stiles, “Shut your mouth, Stiles.  It’ll be a cold day in hell before I ever do anything with you.  And that goes for your alpha mate too.”

Derek snarled towards him and Liam shouted, “Stop!”

He glanced back to Liam and muttered, “Thank you, Li.”

Liam’s anger was focused to a pinpoint on him, “I was talking to you, Theo.  Do you ever shut up?”

He took a step back, thrown off by the waves of Liam’s anger, “Li?  What?”

The alphas laughed as Liam walked towards them, “I’ve been talking to the guys and what they say makes sense.”

His eyes followed Liam as his friend sat next to Brett and flashed his eyes red, “Li, you can’t be serious.”

Liam spat back, “I am serious Theo.  I thought you wanted to be my mate, but you just want my dick.  You don’t use suppressants.  You are almost constantly slick but never want me to fuck you.  You use all the same things the omega whores use.  You _used_ me during your heats.  It sounds like you are bending over for anyone and everyone but me.”

The embarrassment resurfaced as tears filled his eyes, “I get it now.  You’re an alpha and I was stupid to think that you wouldn’t do what the other alphas do.”

He turned to walk away, and Brett shouted at him, “Hey bitch, if you are giving it up to the rest of Beacon Hills, when do we get a turn?”

Scott growled at the taller alpha and Brett shrugged and smirked, “Don’t worry Scotty, he’ll bend over for you too.”

Theo shook his head and stormed off as he fought the tears.  He wouldn’t do this. He wouldn't break down, not in front of Liam, not in front of _them_.  He was stronger than that.  This would be just another obstacle.  He’d overcome his status as an omega.

 

 

He slammed the door after he stepped into his home which shook the railings.  Before he could make it up the stairs, he heard his mother call out, “Theo!  What have I told you about slamming doors?”

He weakly muttered, “I know, mom.  I know.” 

He drug himself to his room and put down his books.  He walked to the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror.  His eyes welled with tears, another friend lost because he couldn’t do what was expected of him. 

He let the tears silently fall as he felt the discomfort of his jeans.  Without a second thought he reached back and felt his upper thigh, near the base.  He was leaking, again.  Another reason he hated to be around Alphas.  He hated the sensation, but his body craved their presence, their touch and reacted accordingly.  Stiles was right, around them, even a good distance away, he caught their scents.  His body wanted that alpha gangbang, but the thought disgusted him.

As he slid out of his jeans, his mother stepped into his room and remarked, her eyes locked to the stain on his jeans and the viscous fluid leaking around the edges of his “omega” underwear, a sick joke name for some form of adult diapers, “Theo, you wouldn’t have this problem if you chose a mate already.”

He growled at his mother, flashing his eyes and she smirked, “Don’t take that tone with me.  We’ve told you before, forget this ridiculous idea of going to college, take a mate, have your first child and then continue being a surrogate for our lineage.”

He shook his head and argued, “Do you know how disgusting that is?  Has it ever crossed your mind how many of my siblings that I don’t know are out there?  What if you come home one day to another of your alpha kids plowing me?  Did you ever think of that?!?!”

She glared at him as she venomously spat, “You’d be lucky.  Each and every one of those siblings came from a family of wealth and prestige!  Those sibling’s families paid for the roof over your head, the food in your stomach, your precious little truck, that absurd school infatuation you have and those ridiculous treatments you receive to make sure you can’t conceive.”

He began, “Mom!-“

She quickly cut him off, “The sooner you learn your place as a Raeken omega, the better your life will be.  Our genes are the envy of omegas everywhere and you could have your pick of alphas.  I bet this was some stupid idea put into your head by that Dunbar boy.  You’re too good for him.”

Without thinking he defended, “This isn’t about Liam!  Liam wanted me as his mate.”

She huffed and rolled her eyes, “I can’t believe I let your father convince me to agree to your infatuation with a _beta_.”  She sneered the last word in utter disgust.  “But after shifting, he became an alpha which made your relationship tolerable.  So do the right thing and be his mate.”

He bitterly laughed and a sick grin blossomed across his face, “Liam dumped me today.  That’s good news, right?”

His twisted grin fell as hers grew, “That’s great news.  I’ve been in talks with the Hales and there are far worse seeds for you to carry.  They are wealthy and powerful.  Your life could be one that other omegas dream about.”

He sneered, “Other omegas' dreams?  Do other omegas dream about having a uterus implanted in them at age 10?  Do other omegas dream about being turned into something not quite a werewolf just to survive the treatments needed so their bodies can produce slick and have glands ripped out and replaced?  Do other omegas dream about losing a year from school because their bodies rejected the suppressants and almost killed them at 11?  Do other omegas dream about meeting their first possible alpha at age 14?  What is wrong with you?!?  You are supposed to be my mother!”

She turned around and dismissively stated as she walked towards the door and stopped, “Everything we’ve done was for your well-being.  You’re going to understand that one day.  We didn’t do anything to you that your body wasn’t preparing for so don’t act like this was some crime against nature.  When you have kids, you’ll understand.”

As she stepped through the door she commented in revulsion, “Clean yourself up.  You’re dripping on the floor.”  She slammed the door as she left.

He stared at the door, his mind lost to the conversation. 

 

 

After cleaning himself up, he went through his supplies and found the drying compound and the plug.  He knew it would be uncomfortable, but he could make sure he didn’t stain another pair of jeans.  Normally he reserved this for heats but with the number of alphas at the school, he couldn’t risk it.

As he laid in bed he wanted to cry and instinctually reached for his phone.  Without thinking, his finger hovered over Liam’s contact number.  “ _You used me.”  “It sounds like you are bending over for anyone and everyone but me.”_

The words danced in his head as he clicked the phone off. 


	2. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo is taken by his mother to meet with the Hales to discuss his breeding.

Negotiations

 

 

The dark hallway was cold, the meager interior lights doing little to cast away the shadows.  The rich dark reds and blacks of the textured wallpaper gave the path an eerie feeling and sent a shiver up his spine.  He pulled out his phone and checked the time, 10:47 AM.  He should be in his Genetics lecture, but he was forced to be here, the Hale Manor.

He felt the sharp jab of his mother’s elbow into his side and she glared at him, “Theo, move it.  We can’t keep the Hales waiting.”

He shoved the phone into his pocket and walked with her down the hallway towards a large wooden door.  His mother opened the door after pulling her suit jacket tight and motioned for him to step inside.  He crossed the threshold and saw the walls lined with shelves holding hundreds of books that wrapped around the study.  The overhead chandelier illuminated the otherwise dark room and two men stood behind the antique desk.

The dark-haired man wearing a deep navy suit stepped from behind the desk and extended his hand, “You must be Theo.  My name is Robert and I work for the Hales in talent and art acquisition.”  Theo glared at the man’s hand until his mother pushed him forward and he reluctantly shook the man’s hand. 

Robert continued, “I can understand you being nervous in this process.  Your first breeding has to be a stressful time.  You have nothing to worry since one of our family physicians, Dr. Fenris, is here to help with the process.”

Theo glanced to the older man in the open lab coat with a plaid sweater underneath.  He looked back to his mother and she avoided his gaze and took the man’s hand, “I will be negotiating on behalf of the Raeken family.”

After shaking her hand, he stepped back behind the desk and took a seat.  With a grin he stated, “Mara Raeken.  I’m surprised we aren’t negotiating for your talents today.  Though I find it odd that an Omega such as yourself would be the one handling the negotiations.”

She responded sharply as she took a seat in the lone chair in front of the desk, “Robert, I assure you that if anyone in the family understands these negotiations, it’s me.  Don’t let my former business distract you.”

Dr. Fenris looked to Theo and asked coldly, “Is the Omega viable for breeding?  He seems a bit young.”

Theo scoffed as the doctor continued to eye him, “Take a picture.”

His mother glared at him, “Theo!  Show some manners.”

Robert laughed and commented, “He’s willful.”

His mother followed with a polite laugh, dripping with annoyance, “If Talia is looking for a willful Omega, my son is the perfect candidate.”

Dr. Fenris cut the humor, “I’ll be the one assessing his viability.  Theo, take off your clothes.”

He pulled the loose sweatshirt off and tossed it on the floor near the door and slid his sweatpants down and stepped out of them.  He felt the chill from the AC but his skin crawled worse from the gaze of the Doctor as he stepped towards him.  The man grabbed his pec and squeezed hard with a disinterested look on his face.  The doctor shifted to his face, lifting the chimera’s lips and running a finger into his mouth.  Theo gagged and stepped back, “What the hell?!?!”

His mother sharply ordered, “Stand still, Theo.”

He looked to his mother and pleaded with his eyes as the Doctor continued to paw over his body.  After several minutes and a few “Hmms” by Fenris, the Doctor asked, “And his cycle?”

Mara looked to the Doctor, “His heats have been mitigated with an outside Alpha.  His body is producing well.  He has not been on suppressants nor has his body been subjected to any chemical birth control with the exception of PH treatments.  He is fully able to drop the regiment before his next cycle.”

Theo’s eyes widened as he looked to the Doctor, “Are you done groping me?  And yeah, I deal with all the shitty hormonal sides of my “cycles”.”

The Doctor ignored him as Robert laughed and remarked, “Talia is going to love this kid.”

Fenris asked in a neutral tone, “And his secretions?”

Mara reached into her jacket and set a small capped glass tube filled with an almost golden-brown gel on the desk, “I think this will be more than enough.”

Robert shook his head, “We can’t accept that, Mara.  You know better.  We’ve been fooled before.”

Fenris nodded his head and looked to Theo, “Can you produce some now?”

His eyes widened, brows scrunched, eyes looking to each of the three, “You’re kidding?  You want me to drip some slick?  No, that’s disgusting.”

Mara spat through clenched teeth, “Do it, Theo!”

Fenris waived his hand to her, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Raeken, we have methods.”  He looked back to Theo and pointed to his black boxer briefs, “Remove the underwear and the plug you are wearing.”

Theo took two steps back and nearly bumped into the door, “What the fuck is wrong with everyone in this room?”

Robert raised an eyebrow and looked to Mara, “Find a way to make your omega comply otherwise, the deal is off the table.”

His mother threatened, “Theo, if you want us to continue to pay for your studies and that truck of yours, do what he says.”

He looked to the carpeted floor.  His eyes locked to the stains near the edge of the desk.  He caught the faint scent, dried and mostly gone, a residue left behind.  Slick.  He wasn’t the first to be forced to do this in this very room.  He fought back the nausea as he slid his underwear down his legs and kicked them away.  He reached back and pulled out the black silicone plug.  He watched the sandy brown powder residue fall to the rug as he tossed the plug near his pile of clothes.  Fenris reached into his coat pocket and opened a tiny vial and waved it under Theo’s nose.  He recognized the scent immediately.  The scent of a virile Alpha.  His stomach twisted as the scent began to have the effect they wanted.  Robert looked at his naked form and commented, “Doctor, is it normal for a male Omega to be that well-formed?”

The Doctor replied as he continued to expose Theo to the vapors, “Not all Omegas are weakly formed.  This is a sign of virility.  Keep in mind, exposed to the right environmental conditions and circumstances, an Alpha can become a Beta or an Omega and vice versa.  This holds true for everyone.  The potential is held within our genes.”

Fenris capped the vial and pocketed it before he reached forward and felt Theo’s penis and rubbed his testicles between his fingertips.  Theo stared past the doctor, eyes locked to the walls as his slick began to flow and his cock began to stiffen.  The tears welled in his eyes, the sheer violation of his body quickly became too much for him to handle.  As he stared, letting his mind leave the violation of his body, Fenris cleaned up some of his slick with a jar, capping it, and rubbing his finger to collect the residual.  The Doctor licked it off his finger and commented, “Good taste.  Healthy.  He should do well.”

They were discussing money when Theo’s mind returned to his body and he began to process the words, even though they sounded distant and muffled.

Robert sternly stated, “We don’t know if Theo is worth the hundred thousand dollars.  This is his first breeding and he doesn’t have a verifiable history of offspring.”

Mara hopped on the statement with fervor, “Exactly, his first breeding.  He isn’t mated either which means that alone should easily demand the hundred thousand.  Not to mention if your alpha makes the mistake of mate bonding him.  I hope you have insurance in that possibility.”

Robert argued, “I assure you, Mara, if Vincent were to claim Theo, it would benefit Theo more than a simple payment of money.”

She slammed her fist against the desk, “Which would be inexcusable!  If you want Vincent to claim Theo, that would easily push his price over a million dollars.”

Roberts eyes shot wide as he argued, “One million, for your Omega?  You must be out of your mind.  The Raekens are prominent Omegas but the Hales are not only known for their Alphas but for being Alpha wolves!  What would make him worth that amount compared to what the Hales can offer?”

Mara startled to chuckle, a dark sound without mirth as she said, “Show them Theo.”

He turned his head and flashed his eyes golden to Robert.  The man gasped and tried to recover, “That may be but the Hales are one of the few families to be able to fully shift!”

Her chuckles became a twisted laugh, “Theo!”

He closed his eyes tightly as his joints popped and the burning pain seared through him.  When he opened them next, his vision was tainted grey with hints of red.

Robert gasped and quickly tried to recompose himself as he started, “I see.  So the agreed upon price is- “

Mara cut him off quickly, “$250,000.”

The man slowly nodded his head and looked to his left before he addressed the bookcase, “How does that sound?”

The wall of books shook before it slid backwards and behind the case to the right.  Talia stepped out of the darkness, wearing only a long black silk robe and looked to Theo, “$250,000?  Very well.  And no, Vincent will not be claiming Theo as a mate.”

Mara smugly grinned and addressed the head of the Hales, “And the insuran- “

Talia raised an eyebrow to Mara, “There is no need.  It won’t happen.”

He caught the scent of embarrassment from his mother before she lowered her head in deference.  Talia’s tone shifted a bit lighter as she asked, “We are willing to pay an additional fee if Theo is willing to help ease the tension between Derek and his mate, the way a good Omega can.”

His mother’s head shot up and she argued, “That’s not part of the deal, Talia.  Everyone has heard the rumors of what happened to the Whittemore boy.  I’m not surprised he disappeared.”

Talia shook her head and with a disinterested tone, “Jackson didn’t disappear.  His family moved to England.  They wanted to put him in one of their academies for Omegas.  I could speak to them if that’s what you’d like for Theo.”

He caught the shift of anger from his mother, “No, Theo is not going to one of those, facilities.”

Talia carelessly shrugged and stated, “So a fee for Derek and his mate and the $250,000 for the conception and birth?”

Mara quickly added, “And a contingency fee.  If for whatever reason, your Alpha fails to breed Theo, we still get the payment.”

Talia narrowed her eyes and argued, “Fifty thousand if Vincent fails to sire.  No more.”

His mother grinned, “And fifty thousand to help your son.  Regardless, a payment of one hundred thousand dollars is due.”

Talia glanced to Theo and airily mused, “It’s a shame what happened to your daughter.  She could’ve been an excellent Alpha.  Though, your family does have little need for Alphas.”

Mara’s grin fell into a scowl as she softly replied, “Tara’s accident truly was a tragedy and blow for our family.  We’re glad that Theo became the Omega that the Raekens deserve.”

The Head of the Hales waved her hand towards Robert as she stepped back to the darkness, “Very well.  Draw up the paperwork and get the payment ready.”

Robert looked to her as she disappeared into the darkness, “Very well, Alpha Hale.”  He looked back to Mara and extended his hand, “You drive a hard bargain, Mara, but I think this will benefit both of our families.”

Mara shook his hand, “A pleasure doing business with the Hales.  May their family line continue to be strong.”

She looked to Theo, “Change back and get your clothes.  We’re leaving soon.”


	3. Expectations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo goes back to school and is met with a surprise. Curiously, he follows a lead to find out about Jackson.

Expectations

 

 

After dealing with a Monday full of doctor’s appointments and being placed on hormones to encourage a heat, Theo found himself back at school on Tuesday.  He felt off with his regiment ended and his system flushed.  He was only allowed to use the plug, so he could catch the hints of his slick.  His professors and TAs did little to help him catch up on the days he missed, and he walked through the quad with his head hanging.  He knew it would be hard but surely, they could see that he was dedicated and trying to do well.

A faint voice caught his ear and he ignored it initially until he heard his name again, considerably louder.  He glanced back towards the stone tables near the large oak.  He was met with a beaming smile from one of Liam’s friends, Mason and a polite wave from his boyfriend, Corey.  He ducked his head and scurried to their table, avoiding eye contact with the other students.  He didn’t want to risk drawing even more attention to himself.  When he reached the table, Mason sat and motioned for Theo to take a seat, “Hey.  We haven’t seen you since you and Liam broke up.”

Theo slowly slid as he sat on the bench and set his bag next to him.  With a sigh he replied, “You mean since Liam dumped me and called me a whore.”

Mason bit his lip nervously and glanced away while Corey nodded his head with a gentle smile, “Well yeah.  If it helps, he feels shitty about that.”

Theo met Corey’s gaze and seethed, “Well, if he feels that way then maybe he could pry himself away from the knotheads and say something.”

Mason opened his mouth to respond but Corey answered first, “You’ve pretty much avoided everyone at school when you are here.  What he did was messed up, we aren’t disagreeing on that, but you can’t be mad for him not apologizing when you haven’t given him the opportunity.”

His anger fled with a sharp exhale, “Fine, can we talk about something else?”

Mason’s smile returned before he asked, “How are classes going?”

He lowered his head as he thought back to how his professors treated him like he was wasting a perfectly good seat, how they reluctantly graded his work, and how they never recognized him during discussions.  “Great.  I just wish I had a chance to get the notes from the days I missed.”

Corey grabbed his bag and rifled through it until he pulled out a notebook and ripped out a couple of pages.  He handed those to Theo, “I know it’s not much but here are my notes from our Government and Civics course.”

Theo’s eyes widened as he took them and slid them into his pack, “Th-Thanks, Corey.  You didn’t have to do that.”

Corey shrugged, “It’s nothing.  Plus I have made my digital copy already.  If you need to me to send any notes from class I will.  I know it sucks having to go to the doctor.”

Mason nodded his head with a polite smile as he opened a folder and handed Theo a set of notes, “This should cover Organic Chemistry.  If it isn’t too personal, what happened?”

Theo took the notes with a quick thanks and stared at them as he replied, his thoughts racing over the events but the emotion not quite reaching his lips, “My mother secured a contract for me.  They flushed my system and put me on meds to trigger a heat.”

Mason and Corey looked to each other in shock before Mason warily asked, “A-A Heat?  Like for you to conceive?”

He took a deep breath before he nodded slowly, a bit of suppressed frustration bleeding into the words as he sarcastically answered, “Yeah.  I always dreamt of being a teenager with a kid.”

Corey gasped and followed, “That’s insane.  Is this normal?”

He slid the notes into his bag and looked to the two.  He knew he was sharing too much but he needed to talk to someone, “In my family it is.  I’m supposed to meet Vincent, Derek’s cousin this weekend to complete the transaction.”

Corey shook his head as Mason asserted, “That’s not right.  You’ve never met the guy and you are supposed to have a kid with him?  I don’t understand.”

With a defeated sigh, he looked to the table, “You wouldn’t.  Both of you are lucky. You are Betas.  You get to decide your lives without too much interference.  I wish I had that.”

Mason reached across the table and placed his hand on Theo’s shoulder, “I’m sorry.  Dude, if you need anything, or just someone to talk to, I’m here for you.  I mean I know you don’t think we are friends, but we saw what you did for Liam.”

He cracked a weak grin before he mumbled, “I didn’t do anything.”

Corey countered as he added his hand to Theo’s shoulder, “Yeah, you did.  Brett used to harass Liam and when you walked up and told him that Liam was your boyfriend, he shut up quickly.  It didn’t hurt that you called him out on being an asshole Alpha.  And you did that without knowing who Liam was.”

A small bit of joy blossomed in his chest as he weakly stated, “I did that, didn’t I?”

Mason laughed and continued, “Yeah, you did.  Then every time Brett would come around, you’d insult him before he could say anything to Liam.”

The two pulled their hands away as Theo laughed, “What?  I enjoyed busting his balls and I could tell Liam was a good guy.”

Mason calmed his tone and asked, “What happened between you two?  We thought you two would go the distance.  Be a mated pair, the angry Beta and his snarky Omega husband.”

He shook his head, the good memories quickly blocked out by the recent ones, “Can we not talk about this?  I know you are trying to make me feel better, but I think I need to talk to Liam.”

Corey smiled widely and answered, “Sure.  Is there something you wanted to talk about?”

Jackson Whittemore.  The name popped in his head and he blurted it out without thinking.  Mason tilted his head slightly, “Jackson?  I mean, we don’t know a lot about him but what do you want to know?”

He asked, “Well, Talia Hale mentioned his name and my mother said something about the rumors of what happened to him.  What have either of you heard?”

Mason looked to Corey with concern and Corey answered, “He was an alpha with Lydia before he received the bite and became a wolf.  It must’ve triggered something because he became an omega.  He was Derek and Stiles’ boyfriend for a few months.  He disappeared after that and people think something might’ve happened to him.  Something about those two Alphas not sharing well.  It’s funny because his parents still own their house and haven’t put it on the market even though no one lives there.”

He breathed the question that chilled his core, “Derek and Stiles, killed him?”

Mason slowly nodded his head, “That’s what the rumors are.  Alphas can get very territorial especially with an Omega they claimed.”

He shook his head and argued, “But they are mated to each other.”

Mason continued, “Exactly.  Which means they could’ve turned that aggression on Jackson.”

Talia’s words floated through his mind, _“We are willing to pay an additional fee if Theo is willing to help ease the tension between Derek and his mate, the way a good Omega can.”_

He mouthed the word, “Fuck” before the scent of an Alpha pulled his attention.  He shot a look over his shoulder and saw Brett walking towards their table, carrying a binder with pages.  He almost snarled, “What do you want Brett?”

Brett threw his leg over the bench and sat next to Theo, facing him with a smug smile, “No need for the hostility.  I was coming over to say Hi to Mason and Corey and bring you something.”

The two glanced to each other and eyed the alpha warily.

He shifted away, moving to the edge of the bench as he felt his body begin to react to the man’s scent.  “Let me guess, another your knot joke, right?  I don’t want your dick, your knot, or anything to do with you.”

Brett feigned insult as he gasped, “No, Theo.  I was bringing over the notes from your classes.  The guys are hard on you but that’s only because we like you.  You’re strong.”  He set the binder on the table and leaned closer and coaxed, “Come on Theo, can I get a thank you, or maybe just a smile?”

He looked to the binder and swallowed difficultly.  He should fight against this acceptance.  He should cut Brett down like he’d done in the past, but he felt the emotions stirring.  He hated these meds and knew he’d be in full thrall of an induced heat by the end of the week, if not sooner.  With a sigh he pulled the binder in front of himself and looked to Brett.  The alpha gave him a genuine half smile and he smiled back softly, “Thanks Brett.”

Brett inhaled deeply and said, “Yeah, no problem Theo.  By the way, you smell good.”

He closed his eyes and forced himself to not accept the compliment.  He coldly replied, “Yeah, it’s the meds.  Did you want something else?”

Brett stood up and took a couple of steps back, maintaining eye contact, the soft genuine expression shifting into a cunning, malicious one, “Oh, I guess one more thing.  When Vincent’s done knocking you up and Derek and Stiles get tired of you, you want to go a few rounds with my knot?”

He snarled, his wolf clawing to the surface, “Fuck off, Brett!”

The tall alpha laughed to himself as he walked away.  Theo looked to Mason and Corey who sat with their jaws dropped, “You see.  This is my life.”

He opened the binder and saw the first page.  It was a plain white sheet of paper with the words, “Ride my knot Bitch” written in huge letters.  He flipped through the stack and read the other messages, every one another vulgar statement.  He slammed it closed and took another breath.  Mason began, “I’m Sor- “

He stood and grabbed his pack and the binder, “It’s okay Mason.  I’m used to this by now.  Thanks for hanging out.”

He didn’t wait for them to respond as he walked towards his truck.

 

A few of days later, just as evening gave way to night, he found himself driving to the Whittemore residence.  He parked his truck down the street and walked towards the seemingly abandon house.  As he stepped closer he noticed a sliver of light at the edge of the blacked-out window in the living room.  He walked past the house and slipped into the shadows before he moved through the bushes towards the room.  He caught the scent of an alpha.  Scott.

His mind raced on why Scott would be at Jackson’s house but also why the house looked like someone was working really hard to make people think it was abandoned.  He heard the sounds of people talking but couldn’t make out what was being said.  He tried to inch closer towards the window and stepped on a dead branch which cracked loudly.  He instinctually darted towards the sidewalk and when he turned to look at the house, Scott was standing next to him, his eyes red.

Scott asked, “What are you doing here, Theo?”

He tried to think of a quick excuse, “I was taking a walk through the neighborhood.  I thought I heard someone breaking into this house.”

Scott’s eyes returned to their normal brown and he chuckled before placing a hand on Theo’s shoulder, “I thought the same thing.  Nope.  A raccoon was knocking around their cans in the back.”

He didn’t know if Scott caught his lie, but the Alpha’s heart did little to mask the lies in his response.  Scott began to guide him down the sidewalk, away from Jackson’s house.  He felt his skin tingle at the Alpha’s touch and close proximity and felt his body lull into the hold.  _“This is College, not Cock school”_.  One of the messages in the binder jumped into his head and his anger returned.  He pushed away from Scott, “What the fuck are you doing?  You don’t own me.”

Scott staggered backwards with a confused, “What?”

He argued, “The binder.  Brett gave me the gift from your clique.”

The alpha shook his head, “He did what?”

His eyes rolled as the disgust churned, his limbs tingling from the anger, “That stupid binder.  My “notes” for school.  You know for almost half a second I believed that maybe you and your friends might treat me like a human being.  But I guess, “Bitch is only good for riding a knot”.”

Scott began, “Theo, I didn’t- “

“Save it Scott.  Your scent was on the binder too.”  He flashed his eyes golden and continued, “I’m an Omega, but I’m a wolf too.” 

He felt his head swim and stumbled towards the road.  Scott lunged for him and grabbed his wrist, pulling him away from the road just before a car flew by, the driver honking the horn.  Scott stated, concern in his voice, “Theo, you’re in heat.”

He groaned as his mind fogged.  He grabbed his head and muttered, “Fuck.”

Scott continued, “You can’t be walking the streets at night like this.  Where is your truck?”

He shook his head and pointed back the way he walked, “It’s that way.”

Scott wrapped an arm around him and began to walk them.  He feebly tried to push the Alpha away, “Let go of me, Scott!”

Scott flashed his eyes red and deepened his voice, “Theo.  I am taking you to your truck and making sure you get home!”

The waves of nausea crested, and he leaned more of his weight into Scott.  He thought if he could make it to his truck, he could get away.  He caught the change of scent from the Alpha and knew that his body was working to lure the alpha in.  Scott opened the passenger side door and rolled Theo into the seat and buckled him in.  Theo glanced over to the driver’s side and watched him climb in and start the truck.  His only thought, “How did Scott get my keys?”

With his head rolled to the side, Scott looked over, his face was torn, his brow scrunched, nostrils flared, eyes darting over his face, his lips dry with his tongue rolling along them.  The Alpha demanded, with deep red eyes, “Which way to your house?”

His eyes lazily closed as he tried to think, his breaths becoming fast and shallow.  The scent of the Alpha pushed his mind’s ability to process and he muttered, “I don’t know.  Where’s Liam?”

The near growl response came at him harshly, “You aren’t going to see Liam.  What is your address?”

He rolled his head back towards his window and rubbed it with his fingertips.  It felt cool against his skin and he focused on that relief before his placed his face against the window and began to pull of his shirt.  Scott yelled, “Theo!”

In a haze he glanced back, tossing his t shirt to the back seat, “My home is at home.”

“You aren’t making sense Theo.  I need you to tell me where you live!”

Theo looked to his dashboard and pressed a button.  When it beeped twice he almost shouted, “Go Home!”

In a computerized tone the panel responded, “Starting route home.”

He closed his eyes and descended into the fog.

 

The next morning his mind cleared somewhat but his back and legs hurt, a soreness that crept down his legs and up his back originating from his ass.  He felt the pressure of his slick held in by a plug.  He didn’t remember seating his plug last night.  He gasped as he sat up on his disheveled bed, naked.  His skin was flush with red marks, tiny cuts that hadn’t healed.  Cuts from an Alpha wolf’s claws.  He felt the heavy pit in his stomach.  He took several deep breaths before he mouthed, “Did I?  Did we?  Fuck!”

His thoughts were shattered by the deep yelling at his door before it was thrown open and his father glared at him, “Who the fuck was that Alpha that brought you home?  Are you stupid?!?!  We tolerated your behavior with Liam but whoever he was, he brought you to your room last night.  He stayed here overnight and left this morning.  You are supposed to meet Vincent today!  If we have to refund that money, then you can kiss school goodbye.”

He rolled forward towards his father and pleaded, “Dad, I didn’t mean.  Dad, I can’t lose school.  Please.”

Jonathan sneered, “Then you’d best hope that his seed didn’t taint you, Theo.”  His father turned around and continued as he left the room, “You should know better.  Ever since you’ve taken those PH treatments, you’ve been reckless.  You are not receiving another treatment.”  He slammed the door and left the room.

He flopped his face into the foot of his bed.  He couldn’t believe that he would have sex with Scott.  He inhaled and caught the heavy scents, his slick and the spicy musk that was Scott.


	4. Execution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo tries to contact Scott; Theo looks into Jackson Whittemore; Theo meets Vincent Hale and learns something about the Hale family

Execution

 

 

He pulled himself up and threw his legs off the side of the bed.  His room looked destroyed, the comforter clumped on the floor, torn up sheets of paper and bits of plastic and cardboard.  The heavy scent of anger clung to the room.  He tried to focus, to discern why but he was hit with a disorienting wave and his guts tightened.  He felt bloated and nauseous.  He grabbed his phone from the floor and stepped into his bathroom. 

He walked to the shower and pulled the plug free with one hand, dropping it to the basin, while quickly finding Liam’s contact information and hitting the call button.  His Ex answered after two rings, the fatigue in his voice calling out, “Theo?  What is it?  Are you alright?

With an exasperated sigh, the oozing sensation of the fluid sliding down his legs irritating him further, he barked, “What’s Scott’s number?  I need to speak with him.”

Liam countered after releasing a long yawn, “Why do you need to talk to Scott?  I mean I might be able to help you.”

His nerve endings danced with barely contained fury, “Li, I need to talk to Scott.  Will you give me his number or not?”

The prolonged silence, with the exception of the clicking of a screen, was long enough for Theo to think Liam set the phone down and walked away.  He called out, “Liam, Are you still there?”

“Scott can’t talk right now.”

He sharply inhaled, calming himself before he demanded, “Why?  Did he get his lips sewn together?  Did he join a monk’s order since last night?  Did Derek rip out his throat?  What?”

Liam weakly replied, “I mean he’s not able to talk to anyone at the moment.”

His rage broke free, “Why is that Li?  You’re dodging the question.  What do you know about what happened?”

He caught the emotional shift in Liam’s voice and heard it crack with a bit of sadness, “I’m sorry Theo.  I didn’t know they were going to do that.  I didn’t even know why they were making that binder.  If I knew- “

He heavily sighed and rolled his eyes even though his Ex couldn’t see the gesture, “Wow.  Remorse for treating me poorly.  I don’t care about that right now, Li.  I NEED TO SPEAK TO SCOTT.”

Liam continued, anger bleeding into his tone, “I’m trying to apologize, and you just want to talk about Scott.”

He snorted back, “Yeah.  I called you to get into contact with Scott.  If you want to apologize, we can talk about that AFTER I deal with the Hales today.  I’ve got a lot to handle right now, Li.”

The wall broke and Liam shouted back, “Fuck you, Theo.  You want to talk to Scott?  Then call him.  I’m not Scott.” 

The line went dead and Theo threw the phone through the bathroom door, and it tumbled on the carpet in his room.  He ran his fingers through his hair and muttered, “He is impossible.”

He let his head hang as he reached forward and turned the knobs to start the flow of water.  He looked at the slick that coated the back of his legs and pooled at his feet.  The sheer volume surprised him.  He must’ve been plugged for several hours in the presence of an Alpha.  He tilted his head as he examined the sticky fluid that looked to be watered down honey.  It was clear.  It wasn’t ever clear after Liam helped him through his heat.

He shook his head as the warm water hit and he realized how disoriented he was.  He washed himself clean, taking several breaks to drink mouthfuls of water. 

He finished his shower, threw on some clothes, and looked for his meds that would cut his brain fog during a heat.  It felt lessened, which usually happened after being knotted, but he didn’t want to risk it.  He needed answers before he had to meet up with Vincent.

After a short drive, he pulled up to the Whittemore residence.  Scott was hiding something yesterday and he was going to find out what.  Scott made a point to mention the backyard, so he vaulted over the fence and landed on the manicured grass. 

He looked over the small backyard and found it odd how well maintained it was.  The cut to the grass was almost surgical and the flowing water pitchers and fountains continued to bubble freely, unhindered from the lack of care, or perhaps because someone cared for them.

He inched towards the back door and looked through the glass, peeking between the break in the gray curtains.  The metal fridge door was open, and it looked to be moving.  He placed his ear against the door and tried to listen for the sounds.  He barely caught the muffled speech but couldn’t make out the words.  He tried to catch a scent but could only smell the flowers that lined the far fence line.  Someone was working hard to stop wolves from finding out who was inside.

He reached for the knob and began to turn it.  The tumblers clicked, and it continued to move as the mechanisms gave way and the door inched open.  An unfamiliar male voice called out from the fridge, “Two visits in two days, McCall?  You’re getting soft.”

He was hit with the overwhelming scent as the door to the fridge closed and the chiseled, shirtless, green eyed, sandy brown-haired omega in heat glared at him.  He found the words escaping his lips before he could stop them, “Jackson?  Jackson Whittemore?”

The omega’s eyes widened, and he ran towards the backdoor, throwing his weight into it to close it but Theo’s foot stopped the move.  He continued, “People think you are dead!”

Jackson hissed, still trying to close the door, “Good.  That’s what I want them to think.  Do you know what would happen if the Hales realized that I was still alive?”

He thought for a moment before he asked, “No, I don’t.  But I think you should-”

The pressure to the door gave and Theo stumbled only to be grabbed and pulled into the modern style black and steel kitchen.  Jackson pushed him away from the door and locked it before glaring at him, “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

After running his fingers through his hair, he extended his hand and smugly stated, “I’m Theo Rae- “

Jackson stated, his eyes flashing blue, “You’re an omega.  In heat.  And you smell like Scott.”

He grumbled and continued, “Like I was saying, I’m Theo Raeken, and I’m contracted out to the Hales.  So if you can stop interrupt- “

Jackson narrowed his eyes and the spice of anger drowned out their scents, “Why do you smell like Scott?  Why are you here?”

He flared his eyes and channeled his annoyance as he barked, “Let me finish!  I was looking for you.  I’m supposed to breed with Vincent Hale later today and I’m also on the hook to help “ease tensions” for Derek and Stiles.”

Jackson shook his head and began chuckling to himself, “Vincent?  Vincent Hale?”  His chuckles grew as he barely uttered the words, “You’re in for a surprise.”

His eyes widened at the casual remark, “What surprise?”

Jackson calmed his laughter and shrugged, “You’ll see.”

He felt a wave of disorientation and steeled himself.  With a few blinks of his eyes he replied, “Whatever.  Why are you hiding?”

Jackson’s mirth died as he uttered, “Because if Derek or Stiles knew I was alive, they’d find me.”

He examined the cold steel expression of the omega before he asked lightly, “So what if they find you.  Are you afraid of Derek and Stiles?”

With a dead tone, Jackson continued, “They claimed me.  As their Omega.  If they do that to you, you’ll understand why I am.”

His nerves jumped as he stuttered, “Y-you’re joking.  They’d kill you?”

The omega’s annoyance cut through, “Yeah, Dumbass, that’s what I just said.  They would kill me.”

“Why?”

Jackson huffed, “I was supposed to be their omega, their pack.  It was fun, at first, but being locked in the Hale basement to be used by them and left with some water and food wasn’t what I wanted.”

“They kept you as a prisoner?”

Jackson’s brow rose as he snarked, “Slave.  Sex slave.  Being a prisoner meant that they would leave me alone more.”

“That can’t be legal.  Even the Hales can’t get away from that.”

Jackson’s tone died and became the wisp of the truth of their world, “It’s legal to “protect” one’s Omega.  That’s what they’d call it.  As for killing.”  He sighed before he continued, “It’s called “In the Thrall” defense.  Alphas can claim it if they kill an omega during claiming.  It’s another temporary insanity type plea.  They’d get maybe a year in a mental institution.”

His eyes widened as the information sank in, “That’s fucked.”  That stood in silence before he broke it, “How did you escape?”

Before Jackson could answer, the sounds of a muffled tiny voice were heard from upstairs and Theo was pushed towards the door, “Interview is over.  I’m not here.  I’m dead.  You never saw me.”

Jackson abruptly opened the door as Theo tried to ask, “Wait.  You didn’t tell me about- “

The door slammed in his face and the locks clicked.  He shook his head with a sigh before he walked back towards his truck.  That was Jackson Whittemore.  The rumors were just rumors, but Derek or Stiles killing him.  He’d heard of possessive Alphas killing Omegas but that was few and far between.  But Jackson sounded so certain of it.  He tried to work through the why as his truck rumbled to life.

 

He stepped back into his room and caught the scent again.  Slick, Scott, and anger.  It wasn’t his anger but Scott’s anger.  He looked at the disaster and knelt as he scooped up the ripped apart pages and plastic, tossing them into the bin.  He tried to think back to the night, but his memory stopped just after he got into his truck.

His father yelled, “Theo, it’s time to go to Hale manor.”

With a resigned sigh, he replied, “Yes father.”

 

When they ascended the steps, the door opened, and Talia stepped forward in a simple, but elegant black dress, “Mara.  It’s so nice to see you.  Is your Omega ready to fulfill his duty?”

Theo glared at the Matriarch as Mara answered, “Yes, Talia.  His heat has been induced and his system prepared for your Alpha.”

Talia ushered them inside and almost pushed him towards an older butler as she ordered, “Take him to the room.”

The older man motioned for Theo to follow and he stepped away from his parents.  The house appeared darker and creepier as he walked the hallways, following the bends of the butler.  The man spoke, commenting on the architecture but Theo ignored the comments as the dread filled his stomach.  They reached a large door and the butler opened it and motioned for him to go in.  Once he stepped in, the butler closed the door and locked it.

He looked at the simple queen-sized bed, covered with a silk covered comforter with the Hale crest in the center.  As he stepped closer, he noticed even the pillows shared the crest.  Next to the bed was a large crystal decanter of water and a single tumbler.  He poured a glass and brought it to his lips.  He caught the medical scent and quickly set it back on the side table.  He remarked to himself, “Thanks, Hales.  A roofie before sex.  I’ll pass.”

He heard the deep chuckle from within the room and noticed that a side door was open, and a nearly naked man stood just within the room.  The man looked like a slender, less muscular but highly defined version of Derek.  His face was thinner, more angular and his blue eyes twinkled as he commented, “You must be Theo.  Aunt Talia told me about you.”  Vincent inched towards the bed as he continued, the pungent scent of alpha filling the room and causing his mind to swim, “Stubborn.  Sharp.  Untamed.  Sexy.  If things were different, I think I might’ve wanted to claim you.”

Theo let himself stumble towards the bed and the slick sheets cooled his palms and sent a shiver down his spine.  His eyes drifted over Vincent’s chest and he noticed the large scar from the mating bite between his neck and shoulder.  He stumbled over his words as his mind began to try and work through the odd part about the scent, “W-w-wait.  You have a mate?”

Vincent slunk onto the bed and hooked his fingers under the edge of Theo’s t shirt.  He began to pull it off as he answered, “Politics.  Just like this.  Auntie wants there to be a Hale that isn’t connected to the _other_ family.”

A chill caught him as the shirt fell to the floor and the Hale’s eager hands slid around his torso and pulled him across the bed into a kiss.  As Vincent’s tongue pushed to gain entry, the sterile, manufactured taste carried through and the scent exponentialized.  He couldn’t concentrate even though his brain screamed something was wrong.  He felt the warm gel push past his cheeks and the inborn lust took over as he moaned and grabbed the Alpha’s cock.

Vincent pushed into the kiss only for Theo to flash his eyes and push him away.  Vincent snarled, “What?”

He feebly shook his head, “You.  You’re a liar.”

The Hale pushed Theo backwards and he rolled off the bed and thudded hard against the cold, bare floor.  He didn’t feel the pain but started to chuckle, “Your scent.  It’s concentrated.  More than one Alpha.”

Vincent crawled to the edge and leaned over as he all but yelled, “What?!?!  Are you calling me- “

He barely made it through the giggles as he interrupted, “You’re an Omega.  Nice bulge though.  Next time use silicone.”

Vincent reached down and grabbed Theo’s arm, easily pulling him back on the bed.  He sternly demanded, “Stop laughing, Theo.”

It took a few moments, but he composed himself, “An Omega Hale.  I bet to your family you are as useless as a skate brake.”  He started to laugh and felt the hard strike of Vincent’s fist.  He caught himself and gazed into the Hale’s golden eyes, “What?  It’s the truth with your family.”

He watched the anger fade as a small smile cracked through before Vincent started to laugh.  “Fuck you, Theo.”

“That’s what your Aunt paid you to do.”

“That’s what your Mom accepted the money for me to do.”

Both men laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation.  Theo fell back against the pillows and Vincent edged closer to him, laying next to him with his head held in his hand.  “How could you tell I’m an omega and not a Beta?”

Theo rolled to face the man, his gaze lazy and hooded, “You’re getting slick like I am.  Off “your” own scent.”

He watched the golds roll and shift back to the calm blues, “I guess I’m busted.”

“Yep.”

Vincent sighed and asked, “So what are we going to do?”

He shrugged, “I guess I get to tell my mom to return the money.  We aren’t having sex.”

Vincent airily mused, “Or we could lay together, say we had sex and announce that it didn’t take.  Both of our “reputations” are saved.”

He rolled away from Vincent, “We could do that.  I don’t care you aren’t an Alpha, that’s your family’s bullshit.”

Vincent threw his arm around Theo and closed the gap between them, “Good.  Let’s get some sleep then.  Let these meds work through our systems.  You should drink something though.”

“What’s in the water?  I could smell the chemicals.”

“Oh.  Something to calm you but also to help any pain you might’ve felt.  Keep in mind, in this house, only Aunt Talia knows I’m an omega.”

He relaxed into the man’s hold as he grabbed the glass.  He drank it down before refilling it and downing a second glass.  Vincent stated seriously, with a smile, “You know, Theo.  You are exactly like Aunt Talia said you’d be.”

He chuckled a few times before he spoke through a yawn, “I hope that’s a good thing.”  His eyes closed, and he slipped off to sleep in Vincent’s arms.

 

He’s startled awake to the cold room.  He’s naked, his body contorted with his ass in the air as his torso and hips were bent over a cushioned triangle.  His eyes widen as he’s gripped with a stabbing pain in his gut.  He weakly called out, “Vincent?”

He searched for the other omega but found he was alone, and as he reached back, “He plugged me?”

He closed his eyes tight and fought back the tear as his mind dove deep and he asked himself, “Is it rape if this is what I was paid for?” 

He shuddered as the side door opened and someone stepped in.  His hazy mind couldn’t separate scents, but he felt strong arms lift him off the contour cushion and pull him to a built chest.  The moment caused him to double against the pain in his gut and the man whispered deeply, “I’m getting you out of here before…”

He answered simply, “yeah.”


	5. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo recovers from his incident with Vincent only to have to return to Hale manor to fulfill the second part of the deal.

Awakening

 

 

He felt the tender touch of fingertips across his forehead, gently pushing his sweat slick hair away before any other senses kicked in.  He groaned and moved into the touch, his body still cold to the core but his skin feeling like he was baking.  Slowly, his sense of smell came back and he caught it.  The scent of freshly sun-dried clothes mixed with the earthy tones of the paths deep within the preserve.  A scent he knew intimately.  His voice cracked as he asked, “Liam?”

He felt the strong hands lift and cradle the back of his head as a bottle of water was pushed to his cracked lips.  He eagerly gulped it down as the alpha whispered, “Don’t try to drink too much too fast.”

The plastic rim pulled back and the hand gently laid his head back against the pillow.  His lids felt like sandpaper as he opened them and gazed towards Liam.  It took several moments for his vision to come into focus.  He was struck by the concern in those ocean blue eyes.  He stared into them for minutes, not a word passing between the two before his vision panned out and he noticed the puffy pink skin under the man’s eyes, the red cheeks, and the lines.

He feebly lifted his shaky hand until his fingertips grazed the side of Liam’s face.  He asked, his voice a bit more certain, “You’ve been crying?  Why were you crying?”

Liam leaned his face into Theo’s hand and held it to his face with his own, “Because of you.  Stupid.  Because of you.”

He felt the weak rumblings through his chest as he replied, “Me?  You are the stupid one Dunbar.” 

Liam chuckled with Theo and nodded into his hand, “Yeah.  I guess I am.”

He closed his eyes and groaned as he felt a burning pain deep within but almost as soon as the pain began, it started to fade.  He looked to Liam and saw the dark veins travelling across his face.  Without malice, without hurt, he asked curiously, “Liam.  What are you doing here?”

A bittersweet smile grew across the alpha’s face and he murmured, “I remember what you said, and I wanted to apologize.  No one deserves to be treated the way the pack has treated you.  I’m sorry for being a part of that.”

He tried to lift his free hand to dismissively wave it away, but Liam’s voice grew louder, “No, Theo.  It’s not nothing.  I let other people convince me that you were someone you aren’t.”

He dropped his hand and with a weak grin, “What am I, Li?”

Liam’s smile turned into a grin as he stated with conviction, “An asshole.”

Fighting against the general weakness, he laughed and countered, “You’re so romantic, Li.”

The alpha blushed and they enjoyed the laugh.  After several minutes of easy silence, Liam broke it, his voice uncertain, “So, Theo.  Do you think we could, you know, have another chance, at us?”

He sighed and looked away from his ex, “Li.  I wish you wouldn’t have asked that.”

The alpha’s voice broke further, “Why?  We are good together.”

He pulled his hand from Liam’s face and closed his eyes tightly.  His mind went back to Vincent Hale, to Scott bringing him home, to Derek and Stiles, to the meeting with Talia.  That was his life.  That would be his life.  He spoke distantly, “I wish we were Betas.  No one would care what we did or who we decided to be with.  I’m jealous of them.  They get to decide their path in the world.”  He slowly rolled back to face Liam and said, “I’m not good for you, Liam, not anymore.”

Liam’s eyes widened as he loudly pleaded, “Please don’t say that Theo.  Please don’t close that door.  I-I-I could claim you.  W-W-We could run away from here, away from those knotheads and your family.  Just us.”

Theo opened his mouth to respond and looked to the doorway to see his mother glaring at them.  She turned to Liam and shouted, “You have some nerve!  Trying to steal Theo away from his family.”

Liam stood up from the edge of the bed and stared at Mara, “His family?!?!  You pimped him out to the Hales!”

She fumed, “I knew you’d be trouble from day one.  Theo shouldn’t have paid any attention to an insignificant _beta_ like you.”  She looked to the ceiling dramatically as she continued, “He doesn’t know how to make a good decision without us.”  The rage of her gaze fell back on Liam, “Then you popped your knot and thought that changed anything.  Liam Dunbar, you are nothing but a thorn in my side.”

He watched as Liam’s eyes shifted gold as his Ex wolfed out, releasing a loud roar.  Mara faced down the wolf, “You can’t even maintain your composure.  Your alpha must be an embarrassment.”

Liam snarled as he approached Mara and roared at her.  Theo could see Liam was barely maintaining a hold.  He lowly whispered, so quiet that his mother couldn’t hear, “Li, stop.  This is what she wants.”

Mara rolled her eyes in disgust and spat, “You won’t be with Theo.  I’ve already made sure of that.  Unless you wish to answer to the Hales.”

Liam looked to him, his features shifting back human, but his eyes continued to glow.  Mara grinned victoriously, “Good pup.  Run along, Theo has to get ready to meet with Derek and his mate.”

Liam looked back to Mara and shouted, “I’m claiming Theo as my mate!”

Mara snarled, “You can’t afford him.”

He contorted his body at the burning deep in his gut.  His voice splintered as he yelled, “MOM!  You and Dad agreed- “

She shot him a glare, “We agreed to nothing.  I forbid you to- “

Liam ran to his side and grabbed his hand, and the pain subsided, “He’s bleeding.”

He closed his eyes tightly and felt Liam slide his arms under him and pull him tightly to his chest.  Before they made it into the bathroom, Mara announced with a bit of exuberance, “I knew it!  I knew Talia was lying about Vincent!”

He tilted his head back towards his mother, “What?  What are you talking about?”

Mara released a savage cackle, “The meds to flush your system.  I made sure the doctors added something special.”

Liam spun him around and argued, “What did you do?”

Condescension filled her voice, “You ignorant child, I made sure that Theo would only be bred by a Hale Alpha and my son wouldn’t try to alter his PH without my knowledge.”

He croaked the words as he felt his body discharge, “You spiked my medicine?”

She glared at him, “I did it FOR you.  Your body is reacting only because you didn’t receive an Alpha’s essence to balance your body’s PH.  You should be THANKING me!”

He narrowed his eyes and thought about what he could remember of his encounter with Vincent.  Waking up naked, exposed, used.  Thank was the last word he’d use.

Liam barked, “You’re sick!”

She ordered, “You love him so much, get him cleaned up!  Once this works through his system, he’ll be fine because he has a date with Derek and Stiles.”

Liam argued, “How do you look at yourself in a mirror?  You have to be- “

He muttered a weak, “It’s okay, Li.  It’s okay.”

Liam leaned down and kissed his forehead and whispered, “Why don’t you let me protect you?”

Mara cut in, “Because he knows you can’t.  You don’t have what it takes to be a Raeken.” 

She turned and walked away yelling, “If he isn’t ready within the hour, I’ll be back with wolfsbane.”

Liam stepped into the shower and turned on the warm water and sat in the basin holding Theo.  He begged, “Please leave, Li.  I can’t put you through this.  This is my life now, it doesn’t have to be yours.”

Liam held him tighter, “This doesn’t have to be your life.  Who decided that?”

The word died on his lips, “Tara.”

 

They arrived at the Hale house just as the sun was beginning to set.  Theo looked over at Liam in the driver seat.  He caught the scents of anger, frustration, desperation.  He sighed and looked out the window, “It’s surreal isn’t it.”

Liam glanced towards him, “Oh?”

He looked back at met the gaze, “Being here not even twenty-four hours ago.  With what happened.”

Liam’s head fell, his eyes locked to the steering wheel, “I can only imagine what you are feeling.”

He tilted his head, “What about you?  Finding me there.”

The scents shifted dramatically.  Embarrassment?  Liam didn’t even lift his head as he muttered the truth, “Theo.  I wasn’t the one that found you here.”

He shook his head and looked back towards his window as he mumbled in confusion, “But you were there when I woke up.  You were taking care of me.  In my room.”

The sharp intake of air pulled his attention and Liam’s voice cracked as he admitted, “I didn’t find out until after.  _He_ told me what happened.  I couldn’t let you wake up to that, alone.”

“Oh.  Who was it?  Who found me?”

Liam sighed before he eked out a reply, “He told me not to tell you and I agreed.  He said that it was bad enough he got there too late.  Please don’t be mad, Theo.”

He looked back to the alpha and placed a hand on his right shoulder with a gentle smile, “Li, I’m not mad.  Just tell _him_ thanks.”

Liam finally lifted his head and looked towards Theo.  Their eyes met before their bodies leaned towards each other slowly, stopping when their foreheads touched.  Liam quietly begged, “Don’t do this Theo.”

He fought the emptiness in his chest, the vacant spot his heart should be, and replied, “I have to.  If we try anything now, then we’ll deal with the Hales and my family.” 

He tilted his head and chastely kissed Liam’s cheek, “Don’t wait for me, Li.”

He pulled back and those wounded ocean blues cut into him, “Theo, where should I park your truck?”

He shrugged, “Take it.  I’ll let you know when I need a ride to school.  I can get it back then.”

He opened the door, sliding out until his feet touched the gravel and watched the sadness shift before he closed the door.  He made slow methodical steps to the front door.  With a sigh, he knocked on the door.  He could hear the tears, Li’s tears from inside the running truck.  The more he thought about it, the more he regretted what he’d done with Liam. 

He’d pulled that sweet, innocent, hot headed boy with a heart of gold into his twisted life.  If Tara were able to exact some revenge on him, it would be Liam.  Whatever momentary relief he saved Liam from Brett, dealing with this now, dealing with feelings for someone who’d never be in a position to return them, not the way he needed, was far worse.  He hoped Liam would go back to Mason and Corey, play some video games and do what normal college kids did. 

The creak of the door pulled his attention as the aged butler looked to him and almost immediately presented him with an unsealed jug of water, “Young Master Hale’s directions.  Follow me, Mr. Raeken, they are expecting you.”

He stepped past the threshold as he took the container.  The butler closed the door and he lowered his head, struggling to hear the sounds outside.  He peeled the plastic rim from the container and took a deep drink as he heard the truck turn around and drive away.  He closed his eyes and took a breath.  The butler interrupted him, “Excuse me, Mr. Raeken, They are- “

He barked back, “Give me a moment.”

The older man appeared unphased and replied, “Very well, sir.”

 

When the sound of his truck was no longer heard, he followed the butler down the hallways.  He took another gulp as he looked at the same wallpaper.  The dark tones and the shadows played with his eyes.  He took a moment to rub them and the butler, without looking back, commented, “The Hales use this kind of wallpaper on purpose.  It’s meant to unnerve other wolves.”

“I’ve noticed.”

When they made it towards the right wing, he caught the sounds.  Grunting, panting, a growl.  The butler stopped and motioned to the large double doors at the end of the hall, “You’ll find the young master and his mate there.  Do you require anything else, Mr. Raeken?”

He shook his head and drank some water as he walked towards the door.  The scents of alphas, sweat, and sex grew more pungent as he closed the distance.  He felt the goosebumps crest over his skin and the slick feeling of sweat.  When he reached the door he looked back to the butler, but the man was gone.  He steeled his nerves and opened the door.

Another wave of scents smacked him hard and his eyes travelled to the source.  The claws of the alpha wolf tore into flat rubber platform, his muscles tense, skin covered in a sheen of sweat.  With a snarl, Derek looked back to Stiles.  The human Alpha seemed lost to lust as his leg muscles tensed and his powerful thrusts slapped their skin together.  Stiles smacked Derek’s ass loudly between thrusts, leaving his hand in place, “Who’s the alpha?  Who’s the alpha, Derek?”

Derek’s head whipped around, and his deep red eyes fell on Theo as he answered huskily, “Theo?”

Stiles slammed his cock deep and gripped Derek’s hips tight as he laughed, “Theo’s a bitch ass omega that bent over for your cousin.  He’s not an alpha.”

Derek planted his hand on Stiles’ chest and pushed him back.  With a sickening slurp, the human alpha’s rigid cock popped free.  Stiles began to complain, “What gives Der?”

Derek began to stand up and nodded his head towards the omega.  Stiles faced him, and Theo could see the mischievous grin form.

His eyes widened as he gazed on the two alphas.  Derek was muscular and built with a forest of black body hair that covered his front.  Stiles was more fit than Theo realized with excellent definition, but his lithe, smooth form didn’t draw the omega’s attention but the glimmer of metal through his nipples and the studded ring the pierced his bulbous head. 

Both men eyed him hungrily as the scent of his slick began to fill the room.  Stiles stepped towards him, “Little Omega’s wandered far from his study hall.  Must’ve been bored with biology, wanted to learn it firsthand.”

Derek maneuvered around Stiles and growled at him before his fangs and claws retracted.  Stiles argued, “Come on, Der.  We all know why he’s here, lets fuck him up.”

Derek loudly ordered, “Stiles, lay on the bed.  And no jerking off.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and walked back to the rubber platform and plopped down with a huff.  Derek turned back to Theo and looked to the jug of water, “How are you feeling?”

With a snark he replied, “Like you care.  We both know your mom paid my mom, so I’d be here.  Well, I’m here, what’s next?  Another roofie?”

Stiles laughed as he rolled on the bed, repeating the word “roofie” while Derek closed the distance.  With a huff he stated, “No.  We aren’t going to roofie you.”

He took a long pull of water before he asked, “Then what do you want me to do?”

He knew what Derek was going to say.  He was just a body to be used.  That was proven in this very house not a day ago.  Derek answered with a sincerity that surprised him, “Theo, I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

Stiles’ groaned as he rolled around on the bed, “Come on Der.  He’s a whore.  That’s why he’s here.  It’s not like how it was before.  He’s not willing.”

Derek lowered his brow as he shot a glare back to Stiles, “Shut up Stiles.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and remarked, “Trying to talk to a dripping omega.  Like that’s going to get far.”

Derek shook his head and continued, “If you don’t want to have sex, you don’t have to.”

He replied with annoyance, “Okay.  What’s your mother’s plan then?  You guys need an omega to hold a camera?”

Gentle moans and slurps were heard as Derek answered, “No, Theo.  She paid for you to have sex with us.  I’m saying you don’t have to.  But you do have to stay here while we do.  And there are rules.”

He rolled his eyes and asked, “What rules?”

A small grin began to form on the alpha wolf’s face, “First, No clothes.”

He set the jug down and pulled off his t shirt before he kicked off his shoes and dropped his pants.  He watched Derek’s eyes run over his physique.  What the alphas had almost naturally, he worked hard in the gym to produce.  “Alright.  I’m naked.  You can get back to fucking your mate now or getting fucked by your mate.”

Derek’s eyes fixated on his stomach and beyond as he said, “Second rule, you provide us with slick.  You’re already producing it, we want to use it.”

With a sigh he looked away and Derek continued, “There is a jar in the restroom if you want to collect it that way.  We don’t have to see you make it, but we’d like to.”

“And?”

“And you join in whenever you want and stop whenever you want.  Oh, and this stays between us.”

He nodded his head and they looked back to Stiles.  The Alpha was rolled over on himself, his feet past his head as he shallowly thrusted into his own mouth.  After a few moments of their gaze, he slowly pulled he cock back and tongued the ring before he looked to them, “WHAT?!?!  You said not to jerk off, but you didn’t say anything about sucking myself.”

Derek growled, and Stiles grumbled, “You bring an omega here, dripping slick, while we were fucking so you can talk and DON’T expect me to enjoy myself.  This might be a breaking point Der.”  With a slight chuckle, Stiles looked back to his cock and kissed the tip, “It’s good to be an Alpha.”


	6. Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo fights against the comfort of being protected and his desire to be his own man. While at the Hale house, he learns what happened to Scott.

Confusion

 

 

The gentle burbling from the school fountain lulled him as his thoughts went back to the hours prior.  His professors attempted to give him a hard time again but each time either Derek or Stiles were there, and both men argued down the professors and stuck up for him.  It was odd.  He hadn’t done anything much with them, besides witness their sex and provided them with slick.  Yet, both alphas seemed to be possessive over him.

He felt Stiles’ hands rubbing his shoulders before he was asked, “Earth to Theo?  Are you planning on going to your last class?”

He shook away his thoughts and glanced back to the man, “I think I should.”

Derek reached around both of them and leaned his face in close between them, “Why?  We can get you the notes and you’re still feverish.”

He nodded slowly before the side comment from Isaac struck, “It’s 78 degrees out today.  Who knew that was the temperature of hell freezing over!”

He shot a glare to the curly haired omega, “What’s your problem?”

Isaac stood from the edge of the fountain and argued, “You’re my problem!  But I guess you haven’t noticed anything since you’ve found not one alpha but two to protect you.”

He gasped as he looked over the small group.  Neither Liam nor Scott were there.  Neither was at school earlier either.  Maybe his mind was still in the haze.  He hadn’t noticed until Isaac said something.   He inquired, “Liam?  Where is Liam?”

Isaac huffed, “About time you noticed.  I guess you don’t care as long as you are with an Alpha.”

Stiles glared at Isaac while Derek lowly growled, causing the omega’s eyes to flash gold as he recoiled.  Theo shook his head, trying to clear the fog, “Wait.  Li has my truck.  How did I get to school?”

Stiles kneaded his shoulders as he leaned close and whispered, “We brought you to school this morning.  Since you stayed with us last night.”

He weakly muttered, “I don’t remember sleeping there.”

Stiles grinned widely with a chuckle, “That’s because no one did much sleeping, Theo.  You were amazing.  Really!  I had my reservations, but Talia was right.  You really helped us.”

Derek quickly followed in a serious tone, “You were exhausted and dehydrated.  We made sure you had plenty of water and rest.  You’re still in heat.”

Stiles smirked at Derek before he jumped off the fountain and stood in front of the chimera, “Come on, Theo.  Let’s go home.  We’ll make sure you get the notes.”

 

The afternoon progressed similarly to the night prior as his haze lifted.  He hated how his mind played tricks on him and his perception during heats.  He knew he lost time and usually had to rely on others to fill the gaps.  He trusted Liam completely during those times and a bit of him wanted to trust Derek and Stiles, but he knew that had more to do with his biological imperative rather than actually trusting them.  He shook the thoughts away and stared at the two alphas as they stroked each other as they sat on the rubber platform bed. 

His eyes followed Derek’s fingers as they shifted over the metal studs along Stiles’ frenulum ladder piercings.  He tilted his head as he almost breathlessly asked, “Stiles, why do you have so many cock piercings?”

Derek and Stiles broke their gaze and the human alpha grinned as he looked to the omega, “Come on Theo, to make sex feel even better for my partner.  I mean it feels great, right Der?”

Derek’s face blushed as he nodded, and Stiles continued, “The extra ridges and bumps, rubbing against those tender spots.  Plus, have you ever had anything pierced?  It’s euphoric.  I might need to get something pierced soon.”

Derek shook his head with a chuckle, “Stiles, you have enough piercings.”

Stiles pouted, “Do I?”

The alpha wolf rolled his eyes and Stiles looked back to Theo, “Hey, Theo, want to join us on the bed?  I promise, we won’t bite.”

Derek followed, “Or do anything you don’t want to do.”

Stiles grumbled repeating the words. 

He knew this is what his family was being paid for him to do.  He knew he should want this.  Omegas should want to feel and be felt by Alphas.  He knew that was part of what his body was pushing him to do as he felt the slick begin to drip. 

He pushed himself from the wall and slowly walked in their direction.  He liked how they helped him at school.  They stuck up for him when it seemed like no one else would.  A fleeting thought flashed, _Liam would stand up for you_.  He pushed the thought away.  He didn’t need to ruin the boy’s life.  Liam shouldn’t have to deal with his world.

Derek and Stiles pulled their hands from each other as he slid on to the bed between them.  He looked to Derek and then to Stiles before he asked, “Is this what you want?”

Stiles’ voice began to seep lust, “It’s a good start.”  The human looked to his massive, erect cock and nodded, “Little Stiles is lonely though.  You think you can help him?”

He swallowed difficultly as he slid on his mask.  He could do this.  He didn’t have to have sex with them, but he could give them something for treating him well.  He could always bury those feelings in the same graveyard he left his innocence.

He let his hand reach out and grasp Stiles’ cock.  It felt warm and cold at the same time.  The metal studs sent an interesting cold zing against his hand.  He slowly slid his hand down as he watched Stiles’ expression.  He saw the quick eyelid squints as Stiles enjoyed the tactile sensations and felt the urge to speed up.  He almost didn’t notice Derek’s hand grasping his soft cock. 

He looked back to the wolf in confusion and Derek asked, “Is it okay?”

He resolved that if this is what his benefactor wanted then he wouldn’t refuse.  He nodded before looking back to Stiles.  He stroked the human faster but still gentle, a bit afraid to pull on the piercings, as Derek’s hand explored his body.

It was rough strokes and they didn’t feel particularly good, more overwhelming than anything.  His body slowly began to respond even though he didn’t feel any more slick being produced.  After several minutes, Stiles moaned loudly, “Fuck Theo.  We need lube.”

Stiles reached between his legs and rubbed a fingertip against his hole and his look of elation fell to confusion, “You’re practically dry.”

He sighed as Derek grabbed and held his firm cock, “I must be worn from last night.”

Stiles grinned mischievously, “I can help with that.”  He quickly followed as Derek shot him a glare, “If you want that is.”

He sighed and nodded before the fake smile reappeared, “Yeah.  What do you have in mind?”

Stiles slid further on to the bed and grabbed Theo by his hips.  He pulled the chimera’s ass into the air and Theo fell forward on to his elbows, his face almost entirely in Derek’s crotch, his eyes locked with the thick, throbbing Alpha cock.  Before he could argue, Stiles pushed apart his cheeks and the human’s eager tongue licked a stripe over his hole.

It felt foreign, different, not particularly bad or uncomfortable but different.  He grabbed Derek’s cock and began to stroke it while Stiles’ tongue coaxed the slick from his body.  Almost like turning on a biological switch, he felt it flow.  The fog began to return as he moaned lowly.  It felt almost good, more ticklish with saliva in the mix than anything else but not as uncomfortable as sex.

Derek asked lowly, his voice thick with lust, “You can use your mouth if you want, Theo.”

With a slight nod, he acquiesced to the alpha’s command.  He slowly took the rigid member into his mouth and noted the taste.  It was saltier with a heavier, richer taste than when he’d done this for Liam.  He channeled his energies into pleasing Derek as Stiles pushed his tongue into his hole.

He bobbed his head, and twisted his tongue around, cupping the tip as he sucked on the Alpha.  Derek’s hand reached the back of his head and controlled the movements.  He let himself be controlled and followed the pace while Stiles noisily and hungrily lapped up his fluids. 

As Stiles pulled back, he felt a hot glob slide down his leg.  The human remarked, “Fuck, Derek, he tastes great.  Maybe even better than Jackson.”  Stiles laughed as he pushed his fingertip against his hole, “No problem with lube now.  We could fuck all night with this.”

He gasped as Stiles’ digit pushed past his resistance, probing deeper into him.  His mind flashed back to Vincent.  He coughed out Derek’s cock and squirmed away.  Stiles huffed in annoyance while Derek softly spoke, “It’s okay Theo.  We don’t have to do that.”

He glanced to the Alpha’s face and nodded slowly, “Thanks.”

Stiles almost begged, “Come on, Theo.  I promise I will make you feel good.  You feel good.  We feel good.  Everyone wins.  It’s not a big deal.”

Before he could reply, there was a knock at the door.  Derek yelled, “Yes?”

The door cracked, and the aged butler replied, “Young Master, your mother requests your presence.”

Derek sighed and replied, “Let her know I am on my way.”

“Very well, sir.” 

The door closed, and Derek grabbed his loose grey sweatpants and slid them on.  He looked to Stiles, “Be good while I’m gone.”

Stiles mocked a gasp, “I am a perfect gentleman, Derek.  I promise I will be on my best behavior.”

The alpha wolf left, and Stiles plopped his body down on the bed next to Theo, facing him, “So Theo, what do you want to do?”

He knew what his answer should be but even the violation of the single digit made him squeamish.  “Stiles, would it be okay if I use the restroom?”

Stiles looked to the bathroom attached to the room, “Sure.”

He shook his head, “Not that one.  I-I need to get away from the pheromones for a moment.”

Stiles rolled on to his back, “Sure.  There is one down the hall.  Don’t be long.”  The human alpha rubbed his thigh and glazed his hand in slick, “I love this stuff.”

He rolled away from the human alpha and quickly slid on his pants and shirt while Stiles began to stroke himself.  He walked towards the door and Stiles gently stated, “And Theo, if you change your mind, I can be gentle too.  I won’t hurt you, Scouts honor!”  Stiles threw him the scout salute before he stepped out the door.

He walked towards the restroom down the hall.  He took deep breaths, trying to clear his mind, but caught another scent.  An Alpha.  Scott?

Something didn’t sit right as he walked towards the scent.  The empty halls lured him towards the cracked door that lead towards Scott’s scent but also a deeply earthen scent.  He pushed open the door and stared down the stairs that led into some kind of basement. 

The wood creaked as he followed the weak flickering lights.  The wooden walls gave way to carved earth as he walked further.  He saw a jut off to his left and followed Scott’s scent to the room.  When he stepped inside, he gasped as he found the source.

The room was shallow cave with metal bars lining the back wall.  Scott’s head hung, his arms chained to the metal bars.  The alpha was shirtless, his torso lined with fresh claw marks that struggled to heal.  He stepped closer and whispered, “Scott?”

The alpha’s head shot up and those red eyes met his golds.  Scott ordered, “Theo, you can’t be here now!  Go!”

Part of him wanted to follow the directions but he took another step closer, “What happened Scott?  Why are you here?”

Scott shook his head, “Theo.  I.  I can’t be around you.  You’re in heat.  I-I”

His eyes widened, “Did the Hales lock you up during a rut?”

Scott’s face twisted in pain as he answered, “Not exactly.  I.  They.  Found me like this.  After.”

The strong musk of the Alpha’s state triggered a memory.  The strong arms.  The gentle way he was carried.

“They locked you down here after you took me away.  Took me to Liam.”

Scott’s voice broke, “I-I’m sorry.  I couldn’t.  Stop him.”

He walked to Scott and placed a hand on the alpha’s face, “No.  Scott, you did enough.  You shouldn’t be here.”

Scott’s eyes wildly darted over his body, “Theo.  Please leave.  What you are doing.”

He defiantly argued, “I’m freeing you.  This!”  He motioned to the conditions, “This is bullshit.  So what if you saved me from _him_.  So what if we fucked beforehand?”

Scott interrupted him, “Theo, we’ve never fucked.”

“But my room.  Your scent.  The beginning of my heat.”

Scott let his head hang, “I made sure you were alright.  Gave you some meds to take the edge off.  And that stupid notebook.”

“You tore it apart…”

“Yeah.  I shouldn’t have let Brett borrow it.”

Anger began to run through his veins as he pushed away the fog and grabbed the restraints around Scott’s wrists, “Fuck them.  Fuck this bullshit.  You know how to get out of here, right?”

Scott pleaded, “Theo don’t.  They’ll know.”

He growled as the channeled his rage into the restraint.  At first, it only creaked but he felt the metal give before he tore it from Scott’s wrist.  Scott pleaded, “Theo.  Stop!  If you let me go.  Now.  I don’t want.  Please.”

Like a lightbulb going off, he muttered, “You’re afraid.  Because of your rut.”

Scott nodded slowly, “It’s taking everything not to try to claim you right now.  I can do the rest.  Go back to them.  I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.  Like Jackson.”

He took a couple of steps back, “Jackson?  How did you save him?”

Scott slammed his lids closed, his wolf instinctually pulling on the last restraint, bending it slowly, “Not now.  After.  When we aren’t here.”

“Okay.  Be alright.”

“You too.”

He ran out of the room and back towards the bedroom.  As he made it up the stairs, he heard Talia angrily state, “I don’t care Derek.  No one makes the Hales look foolish.”

Derek almost begged, his voice soft like a child, “Mom.  He doesn’t want that.”

She argued back, “Derek!  I don’t give a damn what that omega wants.  We paid for a Hale heir from his family line.  I will not pay that woman, _that omega,_ one single cent without the heir promised.”

“Mom!”

She seethed, “Derek, do as you are told.  You are a Hale, and this is your responsibility!”

He heard the defeated reply, “Yes mother.”

He caught the footsteps move away and stepped out when he couldn’t hear them.  Slowly, he slunk back to the room and when he stepped in, Derek and Stiles looked to him hungrily.  He whispered, “I got lost.”

Derek’s voice darkened, “Don’t worry, little omega, you found us.”

He slowly stepped towards the bed, “Derek.  I heard.  I- “

Derek’s eyes flashed red and he felt the powerful wave of hormones as the alpha wolf channeled his raw power, “Theo.  Join us.”

His mind swam as his body complied.  His limbs felt heavy and moved without his conscious thought.  He slid onto the edge of the bed and Stiles asked, “So, Der, do you want to fuck me, or do I get to pound your tight ass?”

The alpha wolf stared into his eyes, the deep red flashing brighter, “I think Theo wants us to fuck him.  Isn’t that right, Theo?”

The words floated through his mind but didn’t register.  He had difficulty trying to form words and only managed a weak, “What?”

Derek growled, “Say Yes, Theo.”

He crawled further on the bed, on his hands and knees, his head swaying as his body began to burn up, “Ye-Yeah.  Yes.”

Stiles jumped up on the bed and positioned himself behind the chimera, “What!  Like really?  Like no take backsies.  You want to fuck, Theo, because I’ve been wanting to feel that slick hole since you stepped in here.  I’ll make you feel good.  If I can make Derek cry out- “

Derek growled at Stiles as he got to his knees on the bed, moving his cock towards Theo’s face, “Stiles.  Less talking.”

He tried to fight the light-headed feeling and nausea, but everything pinpointed as he felt the cold metal ring and studs against his slick covered hole.  He let out a pathetic whimper as he felt every ridge sink past his welcoming resistance.  He tried to hold on but the last thing he remembered was Stiles moan, “Fuck.  You feel so good, Theo.”


	7. Obfuscation

Obfuscation

 

 

His eyes slowly opened, the sensation of warmth surrounded him, but it only added to the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach.  His mind and body were once again his own, free from his heat, but their return was accompanied with pain and disgust.  He slid from the weak, slumbering grips of the alphas and stepped away from the bed.  His joints were sore and the pain and pressure from his insides nearly had him doubling over. 

He reached back and removed the plug and dropped it quietly to the floor.  Their seed oozed out and the scent pushed him to nausea.  He scooped up his clothes and slipped out of the room and stumbled to the bathroom down the hall. 

It was late and the only sounds he heard were low heartbeats and slumber.  He cleaned himself up using the sink in the guest bathroom and clothed himself quickly.  His eyes fell on the reflection in the mirror. 

The vibrant purples and blues in the shape of a hand print drew his eyes to the bonding gland.  On top of everything, being used, being bred, they had tormented his unwanted biology further by teasing and controlling him through his bond.  He squeezed back the tears as he tried to think about what to do next.  He knew he needed to leave the Hale residence, that much was clear.  But go where?  Home.  His mother would use the time to arrange another meeting or get angry at him for throwing away free money. 

He could go to Liam’s but how could he look into the young man’s eyes when he might be carrying the next Hale heir.  Whether he fully meant to agree or not, he’d made this choice and Liam deserved better. 

He heard the movements and grumbling of Stiles which sent a cold jolt through his spine.  He slowly inched out of the bathroom and as silent as the night, he slipped out of the house.  He didn’t pick up any speed until he was sure he was off the property.

Then he ran.  He pushed his body into the exhaustion burned through his muscles and his lungs seized from the exertion and he slid to his knees.  He lost track of where he ran, the tears blinding his vision but when he heard the gentle babble of water, he knew.

He looked to the moving stream and remembered the last time he was here.  This was where he killed Tara. 

When she presented as an Alpha, his world crashed.  Hard.  They both knew what was expected.  They both knew what their mother was willing to do to ensure another Raeken omega.  When Tara presented, he knew that she couldn’t modify Tara to be an omega but being Tara’s younger brother, one that didn’t show a particular direction, he could be modified.  He hated Tara for her biology and that hatred manifested in his self-loathing because at this moment, the only person he hated more than Tara was himself.

No one ever questioned her death.  They chalked it up to another Alpha seeing her as a threat to their mate and leaving her body in the creek.  They had picked up the scent of an omega from the crime scene.  What they never identified was that it was a pre-teen omega, her brother.  He whispered to her, “I guess you got your revenge Tara.  This is who I am now.”

He sobbed softly, the tears never quite reaching the ground, the sounds joined with the silence of the forest and the gentle flow of water.  A voice broke his isolation, “Get up!”

He turned to the source and Jackson stood over him, his blue eyes glowing brightly against the darkness.  He narrowed his eyes and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I run at night, when I know everyone is asleep.  It’s the only time I can leave my house.  Now get up!”

He slowly pulled himself up and wiped away the tears, “You shouldn’t be out late like this.”

Jackson smirked, “What?  Some bad Alpha is going to find me?  What is scarier, the bad Alpha or the ghost of a dead omega?”

He chuckled lowly with the omega as they walked away from the creek.  They walked in silence until they approached the Whittemore house and Jackson whispered sheepishly, “Scott told me what you did.  Thanks.”

He snarked back, “I didn’t do it for you.”

Jackson replied, clearly restraining his anger, “Scott saved me from them, you know.  He’s also the reason they think I’m dead.”

They walked into the backyard and Jackson led him to a corner of the property and sat in one of the two large wooden patio chairs and motioned him to sit in the other.  When they sat he stated, “You say that.  Scott said that.  How did he save you?  I asked him before, but he couldn’t answer.”

Jackson stared up to the sky, “The Hales love their tunnels.  That’s where they kept me.  There was an earthquake and the tunnel collapsed.  I was chained to a wall, trapped down there.”

Jackson’s voice began to crack as he continued, “I called out for them for hours, days, I don’t know.  But it was Scott that tore through the rocks and made it to me.  He broke the chains and carried me out.”

“Why didn’t the Hales save you?”

Jackson faced him swiftly with a look of rage, “The Hales can get any omega they want.  Why would they risk one of their own for me?  They thought I was dying through the pack bond.”

“But you weren’t.”

“If I would’ve stayed down there, I would’ve.  They were starving me before the quake, so I wouldn’t be strong enough to break free.”

He gasped, “That’s inhuman.”

Jackson shook his head and curled his lip in disgust, “All of the lineage families are like that.  You know that better than I do.”

He thought back to the surgeries, the months spent recovering and the eager side of his mother to pass him to an Alpha when he was barely a teen.  He lowered his head, “Yeah.”

His thoughts broke from self pity before he asked, “Wait.  The bond.  How did they not know you escaped?  That you are alive.”

A small smile formed on Jackson’s face, “That’s when I recognized Scott as the Alpha he is, as my Alpha.  I joined his pack.  That pack bond broke and they thought I died.”

His words didn’t make sense.  He knew he was missing an element, “But you said the Hales would kill you.  I can’t see how they would kill you for joining Scott’s pack.  He was the one that saved your life.”

“I’ll tell you.  If you join our pack.”

He knew Jackson was being sincere even if the words seemed more like a form of manipulation.  He couldn’t place why he felt he couldn’t join.  He should.  But who was he kidding.  Scott was an actual Alpha wolf.  Jackson was a beta wolf omega.  But he, he was a cobbled together thing that looked, felt, smelled, sounded, and acted like a wolf but he wasn’t.  He really wasn’t even human anymore.  He lived in the prison of limbo, forever tied to his body.  He stood, “I should go.”

Jackson rolled his eyes, “Still too proud to submit?  They’ll find you and continue to try to own you.  And if the scent I caught from you could be true, Talia will pay top dollar to make sure you belong to them.”

The uneasiness of his stomach twisted and churned into anger as he growled, “That’s your idea.  Did you think I’d join Scott?  And do what?  Scott can’t stand against the Hales.”

Jackson argued, “He can do more than you think.”

He snarked as he motioned to the house, “That’s quite a vote of confidence from the man pretending he’s dead, living in fear in his house.  I’ll take care of myself.”

Jackson quipped, “And that’s gone so well for you.  Or was this your plan for the Hales?  Get used, bred, and thrown away.”

The words cut through him.  Their truth burned.  He stormed off with a quick, “Fuck you, Jackson.”

Jackson grinned as he waved, “Glad to see you’re so objective, Theo.”

 

He made it back to his room, just before the sun began to rise.  He shed his clothes and placed them in the hamper near his door.  He walked slowly through the carpet into his bathroom.  He stared at himself in the mirror, his face neutral, only his eyes reflected the pain within.  He resolved this would be the last time he’d feel this way. 

His body felt different.  The soreness was there, and he felt along his gut.  It was tight and solid with very little give.  Even at his leanest, this was never the case.  With a sigh, he walked back into his room and curled up in the center of his bed.  He squeezed his eyes tightly and pulled himself into a tight ball under the covers.  The world had won.  He was defeated.  He was just another omega breeder.  Another body to be used.  The silent tears streaked his face as he sobbed himself to sleep.

 

He didn’t leave his room for much during the week.  Days passed and besides his parents checking to make sure he had food and water, he didn’t interact with anyone.  His phone rang, and messages dinged but that was the furthest thing from his mind.  He didn’t want to deal with the world now.  Those concerns could wait.

He didn’t bother with getting dressed.  No one was going to see him besides his parents and any issue they might’ve had with his nudity would’ve evaporated when they watched him being disassembled and reassembled.

Bits and pieces from his night with Derek and Stiles began to return.  He relived the sensations over and over again as his mind retrieved the lost bits.  He shouldn’t have agreed to spending time with them.  He should’ve stood up to his mother.  But all the shoulds in the world could not rewrite history.

He clicked the light on the night table off and stared out the window.  Was it Friday night?  Or Saturday?  He didn’t know.  He hadn’t lifted his phone to check the date nor did he care.  He curled up in the blankets and comforters, warm and secure in his cocoon.  His _nest_.

He was nesting already.  His body belonged to the foreign invader now.  It was fitting.  It was never truly his to begin with.  The Raeken name insured he would always belong to someone or something else.

He closed his eyes and let the silence of his crushing depression pull him into unconsciousness. 

The cycle didn’t repeat.  He felt a familiar warmth against his back.  His mind slowly returned, and he caught the scent as the boy began to speak, “Theo?  Are you alright?”

He tightened his body, pulling his knees closer to his chest as he croaked the words weakly, “I’m fine.  Why are you here?”

Liam softly whispered after wrapping his arms around Theo and kissing the back of his neck, “I was worried.  You missed school.  I haven’t seen or heard from you.  I tried to visit earlier this week, but your mother wouldn’t let me.”

He relented in the contact and pushed the edge of the covers over Liam.  “I didn’t mean to worry you.  I-I should probably drop out.  College isn’t a place for someone like me.”

He caught the worry and dread scent intensify from Liam before the wolf replied, “Theo, you wanted to get your degree to be your own man.  To be independent.”

With hollow dead words, he replied, “Independence is overrated.  I’ll never be my own man.”

Liam gasped in shock and quickly argued, "Don't say that, Theo.  You don't mean it."

"It doesn't matter anyway.  This is my life."

Liam gently kissed down his neck as he rubbed circles across Theo’s back, trying to calm and reassure him in ways words couldn't.  Theo tilted his head, exposing his neck to Liam.  This contact, these touches, he loved.  He felt cherished.  He wanted to feel this all the time.

As Liam kissed down his neck and grazed the bruised area around the bonding gland, another memory resurfaced.

_He felt the tightness of Derek’s knot locking them together.  The pressure continued to build as the alpha wolf thrashed deep within his body, chasing his relief.  Derek leaned forward and grazed his fangs over the inflated gland, begging for attention, begging for the sharp puncture of an alpha’s teeth.  His breath hitched as those sharp fangs scraping over the flesh sent jolts down his spine.  His hips canted, and his muscles tightened around the bloated knot.  Stiles commented, “Feel good Der?  I can make it feel really good and you wouldn’t have to claim him.”_

_Derek leaned back just before Stiles slapped harshly against the tense gland.  His body convulsed from the blow and he couldn’t stop the broken moans that slipped from his lips.  Derek growled in pleasure and coaxed, “Do it again Stiles?”_

_“Are you close?”_

_“So close.”_

_Stiles grinned maliciously and grabbed the tissue and twisted it violently.  The jolts from before were nothing compared to the twitches and contractions of muscle that seized his body.  The moan died in his throat as Derek coated his insides with his molten seed._

 

He shot up gasping for air, clenching his eyes tight to will away the memory.  Liam sat up and pulled him against his clothed chest, “Theo, what happened?”

He looked back to Liam and saw the depth of love and concern in those blue eyes.  Liam shouldn’t have to deal with his pain, his misery.  “Nothing.”

The momentary flash of anger passed, and a hint of sadness flashed across Liam’s face.  The wolf whispered, “Please don’t lie to me, Theo.  Seeing you like this.  Hurting.  It hurts me too.”

He reached back and placed his hand on Liam’s cheek as the wolf broke their eye contact and looked to the sheets.  He replied softly, the pain lacing his words, “Li.  I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then tell me.”

Theo lowered his head and Liam cupped his chin and brought his face back up, “The contract with the Hales.”

Liam leaned towards him and their foreheads touched.  He kissed him chastely.  The kiss broke down the last of his will.  He couldn’t resist as the frail words slipped past his defenses, “Stay here with me tonight.”

Liam nodded, and they laid down together in the nest.  Liam’s arms reached around his body and pulled him tight.  He listened to the steady breathing and calm but powerful heartbeat.  He focused on that sound.  Slowly, he heard his beat come into sync.  His cheeks warmed at the thought.  Two separate heartbeats sounding like one.  This is the way it should be.

Liam’s strong heart.  Liam’s burning anger.  Liam’s sweet, comforting scent.  Liam’s love.  He knew he was beyond gone for the willful boy he’d stuck up for all that time ago.  He hadn’t meant for things to move this way for his feelings to shift and deepen but he was the one that needed that strength and Liam gave freely.  Liam, clumsy, awkward, endearing Liam.  Liam was the light amongst the darkness.

He knew what he needed to do.  He knew what he wanted to do.  No heat.  No biological push.  No dictations from his mother or the overbearing hormones that ruled his life.  A choice.  A simple one.  One he should’ve made before, but he was tired of should now.  Action.  Control.  He could control this part of his life.

He rolled within Liam’s arms and saw the wolf crack open those beautiful blues.  Liam began to ask something, but he interrupted as he leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to Liam’s.  Liam pressed his lips gently against Theo’s until the chimera nibbled and pulled Liam’s bottom lip.  It slapped back audibly against Liam’s mouth and those blues searched his eyes for an answer.  He responded with a devilish grin before he rolled Liam back and straddled him.

Liam’s eyes darted, “Theo?  Are you alright?”

He closed his eyes briefly before he leaned down and whispered against the wolf’s ear, “Not yet.  You’re in my bed still wearing your clothes.”

Liam gasped from shock, “What?”

He leaned back and flared his eyes, “Li, either take off your clothes or I am going to shred them.”

Liam sat still for a moment before he scurried under him, kicking out of his pants and underwear and snaking his shirt from his body.  Even in the low light he could make out the contours of Liam’s muscular chest and the waves of his thick chest hair. 

He leaned down and captured Liam’s lips as he ground his hips down against the wolf’s growing erection.  Liam tried to speak and managed to say, between kisses, “Theo, what?  What are you doing?”

“Li.  I want you.  I want you, not because I'm in heat, not to use you.  I want you because of you.”

Liam locked eyes with him and he saw the hesitation.  Liam was holding back because of how their relationship was.  He didn’t give Liam a moment to doubt his intent as he grinded his ass against the growing length.  The scent of his slick began to fill the room as he stroked Liam between his cheeks.

Liam’s chest rumbled, sounding more like a content purr than a growl before he asked, “Theo, Are you sure?”

He leaned back and cupped the cock between his cheeks, stroking him with small shifts of his ass as he continued, “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, Li.”

He lined Liam’s growing cock with his slicked hole.  He hadn’t prepared but maybe the burn could erase everything that happened.  He closed his eyes as he leaned back as sank on Liam’s cock.  It hurt.  The pain travelled until he rested against the wolf’s thighs.  He took several deep breaths as his body grew accustomed.  The discomfort seemed to disappear, and he looked to Liam.  He saw the black veins traveling up Liam’s chest. 

The growing cock felt unusual but this time it was different.  This time he focused on feeling Liam, becoming one with his Liam.  After several minutes getting adjusted, the black veins slowly disappeared, and he leaned forward slowly.  Inch after inch slipped out and Liam’s breathing became shallower.  The flared head of Liam’s cock rested just inside his ring before he dropped back down and pulled a pleasured grunt from the wolf.  He continued the methodical pace, letting himself feel Liam’s pulse, see the love and affection in those endless blue eyes, enjoy the heat of their bodies, and bask in the sounds. 

Liam grabbed his hips with clawed hands and helped him with the pace.  His legs began to shake as the slick poured from his hole and coated Liam’s thighs.  Liam managed a weak, “Fuck.  Theo.  You feel so good.”

His body tensed, and the strength began to leave his limbs as he leaned more into Liam’s strong hands holding him up.  He laid against Liam’s chest as the alpha continued the controlled, slow, deep thrusts.  He wrapped his arms around Liam and rolled them over, quickly locking his legs with Liam’s to keep the wolf inside. 

Liam almost fell forward but caught himself, placing a hand at each side of Theo’s head.  They locked eyes as Liam’s pace intensified.  The sounds of the slurp of slick and slapping of flesh filled the room but their eyes remained locked.  The usual discomfort never seemed to appear as he lost himself to those flickering blues and golds.  He felt the tension within his gut build as Liam’s thick cock pressed and grazed his prostate. 

Liam’s arms began to shake, and he weakly spoke through fangs, “So close.  Going to knot.”

He pulled tightly against Liam’s back, holding on through the thrusts as the wolf’s cock began to grow harder and thicker.  He tried to pull Liam’s body down, but the wolf resisted.  Liam weakly argued, “Theo.  Don’t.  I’m won’t be able to control it.”

He dug the tips of his claws into the wolf’s flesh and saw the flash of the predator cross his eyes, “Then lose control, Li.  I want this.”

Liam collapsed against his chest as his thrusts grew more erratic.  Liam growled against his filled mating gland and as he spoke his fangs scratched the tissue, “The bond?  Mates?”

He didn’t want to argue.  He knew what he wanted and kissed the area of Liam’s neck before he sank his fangs.  The tissue gave, and the coppery taste filled his mouth.  Liam thrust deep and the growing knot locked them together.  His body coursed with heat as he craved the final push to his release.  Liam still hesitated.  He moved his claw from the wolf’s back and rested it on the back of Liam’s head.  He stated the simple words that he knew the alpha craved, “Mate.  Yours.”  That permission was all it took. 

Liam’s fangs broke through and his body shuddered as he spilled between them and felt the alpha filling him up.  While sucking and licking up the blood, Liam growled, “Mine.  Mate.”

When that skin broke, the waves of emotions hit.  He’d been prepared for his attachment to Liam to grow.  His muscles expanded and contracted around the welcomed knot, milking the alpha for every last drop.  He didn’t expect everything to intensify.  His silent cries of pleasure were also masking the emotions he buried. 

After Liam licked the blood from his wound, the wolf seized his lips.  Their tongues sought each other in a torrent of emotions laced with the iron taste of their bond.  They shifted and rolled over the bed, further spreading their combined scent, their new scent as they desperately poured their emotions into those kisses.  The nest was destroyed, the linens partially wrapped around them with some thrown to the floor.  When they broke free, gasping for air, Liam whispered, “I love you, Theo.”

“I love you too, _Little Wolf_.”


	8. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theo is forced to face the decision of being with his mate or his family.

Awakening

 

 

Theo pushed his back against Liam's chest, the warmth spreading over them, Liam's arms wrapped protectively around his chest, his semi firm cock resting between his cheeks.  The scent of his mate swam in his mind, fulfilling a need he never knew existed, but churning up something else from deep within.  Liam kissed the back of his neck pulling a groan of contentment from him.  "How do you feel?  I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Theo's voice cracked from the exertion of the night prior and his finally restful sleep, "No.  I feel...pretty good.  _Mate_."

Liam growled against his neck, the wolf's face slipping lower to kiss the tender spot that would heal over to a nice mating scar.  Liam nuzzled against it, leaving behind little pecks, " _Mate_."

It felt right.  He wondered if this were the hormones, but his thoughts drifted back to why he made the decision and realized that the hormones only reacted to his conscious desires.  Liam was his mate, now and forever.  It was something his family couldn't take from him, the Hales couldn't take from him.  Unlike his original dreams of a future, this was something solid, something tangible that couldn't be changed.

The door to his room slowly cracked open, his mother's voice soft and seemingly caring, "Theo.  I know you haven't felt well so I made you-"

The soft tone and words died as the glass bowl of soup fell to the carpeted floor.  The scent of spicy chicken noodles mixed with the growing rage.  Mara's usually cold disdain morphed to fire as her gaze fell on them.  "What is this?!?!"

Liam answered before he could, "Mrs. Raeken, Theo and me.  We-"

"I can see what you did!  You don't listen, do you?  I told you he would never be your mate but you're just a dog looking to bury his bone!"

Liam's hackles raised, the tips of his fangs slipping free as he countered, "MOM!"

Her anger shifted, the scowl softening, growing into a sadistic grin, "But don't worry.  Mom knows best.  I can fix this, like I have to fix all of your fuck ups."

He rolled in the bed, pushing himself to sit, Liam clinging to him, following the movement.  "You don't mean..."

Liam looked between them, the anger at the surface but the fear began to grow, "What are you talking about?"

Mara's toothy grin grew wider, "Oh.  Dear Theo didn't tell you.  Must be a secret he felt he needed to keep from his _**mate**_."  She nearly spat the last word, adding emphasis to her disgust.

He met Liam's hurt gaze, "What is she talking about?"

With a sigh, he broke the gaze, how could he admit this now.  How could he share this, the obvious secret.

 

Liam read his gaze and spoke softly, "I know what she did.  I know she forced you to be with the Hales.  I know."  Liam squeezed him harder, "None of that changes how I feel about you.  I love you, Theo."

His soft admission was broken by the harsh cackle of Mara, "You really are some lovesick puppy, aren't you?  Theo could never love you.  Not the way mates love each other.  Go on, Theo.  Tell him.  Tell him how I made sure you would always be the master of your own destiny."

He curled into Liam, the emotions he buried resurfacing, growing in the monster that spewed at his mother, "Master of my destiny?  You warped and twisted my body for your desires.  You made me this!".

Liam gasped, "What?"

Mara continued, "Listen, little knothead, Theo isn't really an omega.  He isn't really a wolf."  A darkness entered her voice, "He really isn't even human anymore.  He's not held to the rules because I made sure he was removed from them.  Especially after Tara..."

"That...That doesn't make...That's inhuman."

"Just like your "mate"."

He snarled at his mother, "This is what you hoped would happen, isn't it?"

She shrugged lightly, the grin softening only lightly, "Hoped you would be mated by an ignorant Alpha?  No.  I hoped you would claim it, be who you need to be to succeed in this world.  But you had to try to follow love.  Something you'll never feel."

"But I love-"

"No, you don't.  You think you do.  Feelings inspired from that bond.  Don't worry, Mommy has a fix for that too."

Liam shot her a glare, "We're mated.  You can't change that."

She stepped closer, meeting those golds with her cold stare, "Yes, I can.  Theo's going to visit the doctors again.  A little plastic surgery after we remove that system of glands and replace them with another.  No more feelings, no more bond, only a fresh set.  Just like we did with his original glands."

He lowered his head, inching away from Liam as he remembered the table, remembered the cold steel against his back.  "Not again."

She confidently answered, rubbing salt in the wound, "Don't you wish you would've listened to your mother.  Everything I've done, everything I do is for you."

He shook his head softly, his memories flashing back to the tables, to Tara, to all the pain he's known since becoming an omega.

Liam jumped from the bed, fangs and claws ready to tear apart the threat.  "You aren't touching Theo.  He's my mate!"

Mara eyed the wolf up and down and smirked, "I told you before, you can't afford him.  But I can be generous too.  Once Theo provides the Hales with their parcel, I'd be willing to negotiate with you.  I'd even offer a discount."  She mocked him with her disdain as she added, "Of course I doubt if your family would ever be able to pay those fees either."

Liam snarled into her face, and he broke free of his visions.  "Li!  Stop!"

Liam looked back to him, wounded, "But, Theo."

He broke with resignation, "She's right.  As long as I'm a Raeken, this would never work.  As long as my family controls me, we never stood a chance.  I'm sorry."

Liam rushed back to his side and grabbed his hand, eyes teary, voice pleading, "Theo.  Don't say that.  We can be together.  We don't have to-"

His expression fell neutral, the pain too strong.  His hand didn't have the strength to clasp Liam's back, "We can't.  Not right now.  Do me a favor though, please."

"Anything."

"Meet me at the creek.  Tonight."

Mara rolled her eyes, "Tonight might not be good."

His eyes flared as he yelled at her, "Tonight!  You don't control my life!  You think you do but you don't."

Liam pulled his face back and pressed a kiss against his lips.  When they parted, he whispered softly, "Tonight.  I'll see you tonight."

Liam gathered his clothes, the sadness in his eyes ripping Theo apart.  The emotions awakened by the bond continued to grow, continued to react from his mate.  When Liam left, Mara spoke, "You made the right decision.  You are your mother's son after all."

He pushed away the covers and slid out of his bed.  He slowly stepped to his mother, claws silently sliding free.  "You're right, _mother_.  I am your son."

 

The full moon rose overhead, casting away the shadows at the bridge.  Liam paced anxiously.  He hadn't been able to reach Theo since he left.  Every text message went unanswered and when he called, he was surprised to find the number disconnected.  Theo hadn't set a time, but he knew he had to be here.  He tried to focus on something else but being apart from his mate cut into him.  The thought that Mara would steal that from him pushed past his anger, right into sorrow.  He couldn't lose Theo, not now.

Theo's voice broke the silence, long before he could see him, "This is where I killed her.  This is where I killed Tara."

His eyes darted, his body shifting to find his mate, but he was only met with deep shadows.  The voice and scent the only clues that he wasn't alone.  "I-I didn't know."

"She became an alpha and doomed me to that.  The procedures don't work on alphas."

"Theo, please.  Can I see you?"

The sharp reply caused him to flinch, "No.  Not yet.  You need to know first."

"Know what?  Your family tortured you, changed you against your will.  I know.  I hate that you felt you had to kill your sister."

"Li, I am a killer.  Can you accept that?"

He sighed and lowered his head.  This was his mate.  He wanted to have some fiery response to how simply Theo stated it, but he knew that he'd only witnessed a glimpse of Theo's life.  He answered lowly, "I accept you.  I love you.  Theo Raeken."

He heard the rustle of leaves as Theo chuckled darkly, "Theo _Raeken_?  There's no Theo _Raeken_.  Theo _Raeken_ died when an Alpha killed his family during a rampage.  A shame though, they'll never find the body."

Theo stepped out of the shadows and Liam couldn't help the gasped that slipped free.  Theo's eyes glowed deepest red, fresh blood dripping from his claws.  "What happened?"

"Defense of one's mate."

"What?"

"My mother tried to keep us apart, tried to keep me from my mate.  Did you know that can trigger a change?"

Liam swallowed the lump in his throat as Theo stepped closer, the pale light casting his body in an ethereal glow.  "You presented?"

Theo's smile flashed the harsher fangs of an alpha, his claws carried the savage curl to match.  "So Li.  Theo _Raeken_ is no more.  I'm hoping you would accept me.  I'm only Theo."

"But your family, the Hales?"

"What about them?  My family is dead and the Hales will be looking for the Alpha that killed their purchased omega."

"You knew this would happen?"

"I felt it.  When we mated."

Liam closed the distance between them, "Then why did you?  We could've left together."

Theo shook his head slowly, "Mara would've rather seen me dead than become an alpha or a beta."  He laughed to himself, "She said I was her son.  In that way, she was telling the truth.  I'd rather see her dead than endure the tables again."

"What happens now?"

Theo's fangs and claws receded, his stormy greys returning.  Theo looked to him weakly, "I took what my family had in the safe.  I need to leave.  I'm hoping, you'll come too."

Liam pulled Theo against him, smashing their lips together.  The passion poured between them, the blood covering both of their hands as he laced his fingers with Theo's.  He spoke with utter conviction, "Yes, Theo.  We're together in this.  Theo _Dunbar_."

Theo's eyes twinkled, "I like the sound of that.  Theo Dunbar."

They stood under the moonlight, hands clasped, eyes locked in emotion.  Just before it grew too intense, Theo pulled his hands free and snaked an arm around Liam's neck and ruffled his hair, "Come on, _knothead_.  Let's find a new home.  I'm thinking something tropical."

Liam laughed as they walked back towards Theo's truck, "What about somewhere secluded?  Maybe on the side of a mountain somewhere?"

Theo pulled him tighter, a suggestive smirk on his face, "So, trying to keep me all to yourself."

"Yeah.  _Knothead 2_."

"I love you, idiot."

"Love you too, dork."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't exactly what I originally had in mind but I felt I owed the story this ending. I hope you enjoyed.


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